Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice

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In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Alicia Hagen, founder of Mint Peach Media, digital marketing strategist and multi-business owner, to explore what happens when a business has been built around the founder, and what needs to change if she wants it to grow beyond her.

Alicia has spent 19 years in digital marketing, running paid advertising campaigns for businesses in Australia and internationally. But what makes her especially relevant to Season 5, Beyond the Founder, is the way she has deliberately built some of her own businesses so they are not dependent on her face, personality or personal following.

Together, Trudy and Alicia unpack a problem many small business owners do not recognise until they are ready to step back.

If all of the marketing revolves around you, your face, your voice and your personal relationship with customers, you may have built a successful business, but you may also have made it much harder to hand over, scale or sell.

Alicia shares the story of Art Escape, a business she and her business partner built with an exit in mind from the beginning. Rather than making themselves the focus, they built the marketing around the customer experience, the outcomes and the business model.

Once the numbers consistently showed that a future owner could work fewer days and still generate a strong income, the business was ready to sell.

The conversation also explores Alicia’s NDIS business, Marching Forward, where she and her business partner have worked to preserve the heart and values of the original service while building a larger team around it.

They discuss why founders have to become comfortable with other people doing things differently, why 70 per cent done well can sometimes be enough, and why micromanaging good people can prevent a business from ever growing beyond its owner.

Marketing is also a major focus of the episode.

Alicia explains why stepping away from being the face of a business does not have to mean losing revenue, provided there is a strong lead funnel bringing new customers into the business.

She shares practical advice on building an email database, maintaining consistent lead generation and transitioning customers away from direct access to the founder.

Trudy and Alicia also discuss authenticity in marketing, why simple real images often outperform polished or obviously AI-generated content, and why the strategy needs to change depending on whether you are using Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or other platforms.

The conversation becomes particularly practical when they look at what must be in place before marketing can be handed over.

Standard operating procedures, clear ownership of passwords and platforms, an understanding of the numbers, and a defined marketing strategy are all critical.

Alicia also shares her view on when a small business should and should not hire a marketing agency, why founders still need a basic understanding of their own marketing, and the numbers that matter far more than followers, impressions or pretty reports.

If you are still writing every post, creating every graphic, answering every lead and managing every piece of marketing yourself, this episode is a practical guide to starting the transition.

Because building beyond the founder is not about disappearing.

It is about creating a business that can still attract customers, deliver value and grow, even when you are no longer doing everything yourself.

Connect with Alicia Hagen

Mint Peach Media

Marching Forward

LinkedIn

Instagram

Episode Highlights

02:37 How much of Mint Peach Media still depends on Alicia

03:22 Building Art Escape with a future sale in mind

04:44 The financial milestone that told Alicia the business was ready to sell

05:45 Why having a clear exit strategy changes how you build

06:46 Choosing capacity and passion when multiple businesses compete for attention

07:26 The story behind Marching Forward

08:56 Balancing purpose with commercial sustainability

10:25 Deciding where the founders needed to step back

11:53 What happens when the founder is the face of the business

13:16 Why stepping back requires founders to accept that others will do things differently

14:48 Can revenue survive when the founder is no longer front and centre?

15:45 Why new customers can make a transition easier

17:06 Building a lead funnel that works without the founder

18:03 Why your email database is one of your most valuable business assets

19:18 Alicia’s approach to keeping herself out of the spotlight

20:05 Why authentic content often outperforms overly polished marketing

21:00 The psychology behind what stops the scroll

21:58 What works differently on LinkedIn

24:13 Why standard operating procedures matter if you want to step away

25:07 A simple way to document processes without spending weeks doing it

25:59 Why every founder should document tasks, even without an immediate exit plan

28:07 What business owners get wrong when they hand marketing over

29:45 Why founders still need to understand how their marketing works

31:25 The numbers that matter more than impressions and reach

32:25 Why AI and better systems are changing the role of marketing agencies

34:05 When Alicia first began thinking beyond financial success

35:01 The legacy she hopes to create through Marching Forward

35:58 How Alicia’s definition of success has changed

37:13 Why women do not need to turn themselves into influencers to build successful businesses

38:44 Knowing when it is time to let go or pivot

40:14 How Alicia hopes people remember the way she led

43:24 Building deliberately towards your own definition of growth

46:18 The first steps to stop being your own entire marketing department

47:22 Using AI, systems and support to remove yourself from day-to-day marketing

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Learn more:
https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/

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Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach:
https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/

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Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy:
https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/

Connect with Fempire

Website: https://fempire.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/

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In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Monica Hester, founder of Hester Business Solutions, business coach, entrepreneur and founder of Working for a Purpose, to explore what it really takes to build a business that can thrive beyond the founder.

Monica started Hester Business Solutions from a desk in her two-bedroom apartment in 2004. More than two decades later, the business serves thousands of clients across merchant services, point of sale and lending, and Monica now runs multiple businesses.

The conversation begins with one of the most important questions a business owner can ask before launching something new:

Is the first business actually stable enough to support the next one?

Monica explains why age and revenue alone are not enough. Before starting a second business, the first needs systems, structure, financial stability and enough capacity so the founder is not simply multiplying chaos.

From there, the conversation turns to the numbers.

Drawing on Monica’s background in banking, she and Trudy discuss why understanding your financial position is one of the most important skills a business owner can develop. You do not need to become a bookkeeper or accountant, but you do need to understand what your numbers are telling you.

Monica breaks down the financial reports every business owner should understand, including profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, accounts receivable and payable, and budget versus actuals.

They also explore why leaving financial understanding entirely in the hands of a team member can lead to poor decisions, misplaced spending and a loss of control over the business.

The conversation then shifts from commercial business to purpose-led work.

Monica shares the story behind Working for a Purpose, her nonprofit supporting children and families in single-parent households. Rather than building an organisation that depended entirely on her, Monica deliberately created community relationships, partnerships and referral pathways so the organisation could continue operating beyond her direct involvement.

Stepping back was not without challenges.

Monica talks openly about losing good people who were not necessarily the right people for the role, revisiting company culture, strengthening systems and giving new team members clear boundaries and genuine decision-making authority.

Her strongest lesson is simple:

Money can buy equipment, technology and buildings. It cannot automatically buy good people, trust, leadership, accountability or culture.

Those things have to be built.

As a Fempire Certified Business Coach, Monica now helps other business owners make the same shift. She sees owners arrive feeling overwhelmed, out of control and lacking confidence, then begin to change when they realise the business does not have to depend entirely on them.

The shift is from:

“I have to make everything happen”

to:

“We can make this happen.”

If you are building a business, thinking about adding another one, trying to step away from the day-to-day or simply wondering how to create something that can continue without you, this episode is for you.

Connect with Monica Hester

Hester Business Solutions

HBS Coaching

LinkedIn

Working for a Purpose

Working for a Purpose supports children and families in single-parent households with assistance designed to help keep families stable and supported.

Learn more or support the organisation

Episode Highlights

02:18 Starting Hester Business Solutions from a two-bedroom apartment

02:36 Building trust and transparency in merchant services

03:57 What must be true before starting a second business

05:32 Managing time and capacity across multiple businesses

06:40 Why financial literacy is critical for business owners

06:46 The financial reports every founder should understand

09:12 Why accounts receivable matters more than many owners realise

09:43 Budget versus actuals and what they reveal about the business

10:31 Knowing the difference between generating revenue and building wealth

11:42 What happens when the owner does not understand the numbers

12:26 Why every business expense needs a return

13:23 Building Working for a Purpose through community and partnerships

14:39 The mission behind Working for a Purpose

15:30 Why the organisation became deeply personal for Monica

16:58 What Monica learned when she stepped back

18:56 Why systems, culture and decision-making authority matter

20:41 What changes when the owner is no longer the only person who knows how things work

22:03 The first resistance business owners have to stepping back

22:21 Using the numbers to challenge that resistance

23:16 How quickly Monica has seen owners make the shift

23:54 What to do with the time you get back

24:23 Why exit strategy should be discussed much earlier

25:45 Monica’s early vision for her future

27:11 What she has built that will continue beyond her

28:06 How Monica’s definition of success has changed

29:44 Why she now feels responsible for helping other women achieve their dreams

31:39 How to know when it is time to let go

33:08 The leadership qualities Monica hopes people remember

34:59 Monica’s advice for women thinking about what comes after growth

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Learn more:
https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach:
https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy:
https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/

Connect with Fempire

Website: https://fempire.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/

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In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Marcia Griffin, entrepreneur, board director, author and experienced business leader, to explore what it really takes to build a business that can thrive beyond its founder.

Marcia began her journey with Polar Cosmetics as the company’s only salesperson in Australia. From making nervous cold calls and running presentations in people’s homes, she went on to lead the business across Australia and New Zealand with a field force of 5,000 consultants.

That growth forced Marcia to learn an important lesson early.

You cannot build something significant if everything has to run through you.

Together, Trudy and Marcia explore how she built leaders beneath her, transferred knowledge throughout the organisation and deliberately surrounded herself with people who were better than she was in key areas.

They also discuss why culture matters more than simply adding headcount, how a small capable team can outperform a large disengaged one, and why founders need to listen to the people actually doing the work.

Marcia shares some of the harder leadership lessons too, including what happens when you hire the wrong person, why leaving someone in the business who should not be there can damage the entire culture, and the importance of dealing with problems quickly.

The conversation then turns to Marcia’s second business, skincare company Griffin + Row, which she later sold. Her experience on both sides of business ownership reinforces another important principle for founders:

Build your business as though someone may want to buy it one day.

That means clear systems, strong processes, accurate information and a business that does not depend entirely on the founder to keep operating.

Drawing on her years in boardrooms and her work with CEOs, Marcia and Trudy also explore one of the biggest barriers to stepping back from a business: identity.

When being the CEO becomes part of who you are, letting other people lead can feel uncomfortable. But building something beyond yourself requires developing others, trusting them and recognising that there is life beyond the title.

The conversation also moves into financial independence, with Marcia sharing the personal experience that shaped one of the strongest messages in her book, Step Up and Wear the Damn Shoes.

Her advice to women is clear: understand your money, know where it is going and never hand complete control of your financial future to someone else.

If you are building a business that you want to grow, sell, step back from or eventually pass into someone else’s hands, this episode is a reminder that the work begins long before you leave.

Connect with Marcia Griffin

LinkedIn

Website

Marcia’s Book

Step Up and Wear the Damn Shoes

Episode Highlights

02:36 Marcia’s unconventional move from corporate economist to sales

04:05 Making 30 calls before getting her first yes

05:54 Why qualifications are not what make an entrepreneur

06:50 Learning more from successful people than from another degree

07:37 Why sales is not a dirty word

08:12 The lesson that changed Marcia’s view of selling: selling equals relating

09:12 Growing from one salesperson to a field force of 5,000

09:37 Building leaders and transferring knowledge throughout the organisation

11:41 Why purpose matters when building a team

12:57 What a business really needs versus what founders think it needs

14:49 Culture, respect and listening to the people doing the work

15:24 What happened when the wrong person joined the business

16:39 Why leaving the wrong person in a team damages culture

17:43 Building Griffin + Row and learning a completely different business model

19:19 What buyers look for when purchasing a business

22:27 Why every founder should keep their business sale-ready

23:24 What Marcia sees working with CEOs today

23:42 Why people are both the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge in business

25:17 Using outsourcing and AI to create greater capacity

27:11 Why founders need to adapt rather than fear change

27:36 Is failing to let go a systems problem or an ego problem?

28:03 When being CEO becomes part of your identity

29:34 Marcia’s advice for women considering board roles

31:44 How Marcia secured her first board position

32:39 Why board opportunities should align with your values

34:00 When Marcia first started thinking about legacy

34:38 The legacy created through developing other people

35:40 How Marcia’s definition of success has changed

36:55 The knowledge she now feels responsible for passing on to women

37:04 The financial experience behind Step Up and Wear the Damn Shoes

38:57 Why women must remain in control of their money

41:55 Knowing when it is time to let go or move on

43:11 How Marcia hopes people remember the way she led

43:54 What comes after business growth?

45:56 The four areas of life that matter beyond business

46:36 Why you should not wait until retirement to start living

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Learn more:
https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach:
https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy:
https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/

Connect with Fempire

Website: https://fempire.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/

Support the show

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In the opening episode of Season 5 of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Dr Karen Weaver, author, publisher, speaker and strategist, to explore how our stories, knowledge and experience can become part of something much bigger than ourselves.

Season 5, Beyond the Founder, is about what it takes to build a business, platform or body of work that continues creating value beyond the person who started it. Karen’s journey is a powerful example of exactly that.

After moving from Northern Ireland to Australia, Karen experienced a period of significant personal change that eventually led her to writing. What began with one book became a career in publishing, helping other women share their stories, build intellectual property and create work that can continue making an impact for generations.

Together, Trudy and Karen explore why so many women hesitate to tell their stories, how writing can elevate a personal brand, and why a book can become far more than a marketing tool.

They also discuss what it means to build something beyond yourself. Karen shares how she has developed publishing businesses, teams, partnerships and platforms that allow other voices to be heard, while maintaining the values and standards at the heart of the work.

The conversation moves into leadership, legacy and the importance of knowing what success means to you personally. Karen explains why she has built her businesses around her values as both a mother and an ambitious entrepreneur, and why growth does not have to come at the expense of the things that matter most.

Trudy and Karen also explore inspired leadership, trusting your intuition, choosing opportunities that align with your bigger purpose and understanding when something is simply another distraction.

At the heart of this conversation is a simple idea:

Your story has value. Your knowledge has value. And what you create today can become part of the legacy you leave behind.

If you have ever thought about writing a book, sharing your experience or turning what you know into something that can continue creating impact beyond you, this episode is for you.

Connect with Dr Karen Weaver

LinkedIn

Facebook

Episode Highlights

02:28 Karen’s journey from Northern Ireland to Australia

03:35 Navigating PTSD, loss and a major life transition

05:53 The moment that inspired Karen to start writing

07:22 Writing her first 50,000-word novel in 30 days

08:32 Why every woman has a story worth sharing

09:07 Writing from a healed perspective

10:11 Realising she was building something bigger than her personal brand

11:56 Setting the intention to build a million-dollar publishing company

13:59 Trusting your knowing when making business decisions

14:37 Building a business without compromising your values

16:01 Defining success on your own terms

17:10 What stops women from writing their stories

18:22 Turning knowledge and experience into intellectual property

19:37 Legacy, family and showing the next generation what is possible

21:29 Why today’s women’s stories matter for future generations

24:17 Building teams and platforms that extend beyond the founder

25:21 Protecting quality, values and purpose as the business grows

26:32 Creating communities and experiences that live beyond the founder

27:30 Why women rising together matters

29:13 Making decisions that support long-term impact

30:56 How to distinguish an aligned opportunity from the next shiny thing

33:18 Knowing from the beginning that the business would become bigger than her

33:55 How Karen’s definition of success has evolved

35:30 Why the future of leadership is inspired, not controlling

36:25 What Karen hopes people remember about the way she led

37:11 Advice for women entering the next chapter of their business

38:42 Turning your knowledge, story and experience into lasting impact

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Learn more:
https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach:
https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy:
https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/

Connect with Fempire

Website: https://fempire.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/

Support the show

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In the Season 4 finale of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, the tables are turned as Lu Swain interviews Trudy Heins about her own journey from business operator to CEO.

Across more than three decades in finance, leadership and business ownership, Trudy has built businesses, led teams, navigated major change and learned firsthand that becoming a CEO is not a title you earn once. It is an ongoing decision to lead differently.

Trudy shares how her early career shaped her commercial judgement, the lessons she carried from corporate leadership into business ownership, and the experiences that taught her the difference between being responsible for everything and genuinely leading.

Together, Lu and Trudy explore what happens when the skills that helped you build a business begin to hold it back. They discuss delegation, decision-making, financial leadership, managing people, building resilience and learning to step away from the day-to-day without losing sight of what matters.

Trudy also reflects on the importance of knowing your numbers, having difficult conversations and accepting that no employee will ever be as emotionally invested in the business as its owner. Strong leadership is not about expecting people to think exactly as you do. It is about setting clear expectations, building capable teams and giving people the structure and trust they need to perform.

The conversation also looks at the personal side of leadership. Trudy shares how life experience, setbacks and previous businesses have shaped the way she leads today, and why success must be defined by more than revenue alone.

This episode brings Season 4, The CEO Shift, full circle. The shift is not about doing more, controlling every detail or becoming busier. It is about creating the clarity, confidence and commercial discipline to lead a business that can grow beyond you.

If you have built something successful but still feel responsible for every decision, every outcome and every problem, this conversation is a reminder that the next stage of growth may require a different version of you.

About Trudy Heins

Trudy Heins is the CEO and owner of Fempire, a strategic business consultant, podcast host and former Certified Financial Planner with more than 36 years of experience across finance, leadership and business.

Throughout her career, Trudy has built and sold businesses, led sales teams, worked with respected Australian financial organisations and supported business owners to create stronger, more profitable and financially sustainable businesses.

Today, she works with women who are ready to stop running every part of their business and start leading it with greater clarity, confidence and commercial focus.

Episode Highlights

•  The experiences that shaped Trudy’s approach to business and leadership 
•  Moving from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship 
•  What previous businesses taught Trudy about becoming a CEO 
•  The difference between being responsible for everything and leading effectively 
•  Why knowing your numbers is a fundamental leadership responsibility 
•  Making difficult decisions when there is no perfect answer 
•  Why business owners become the bottleneck in their own businesses 
•  Learning to delegate without lowering your standards 
•  Setting clear expectations and building accountable teams 
•  Why employees will never be as invested as the business owner 
•  Creating a business that does not rely on you for every decision 
•  Leading through setbacks, uncertainty and major change 
•  Defining success beyond revenue and constant growth 
•  The lessons Trudy would share with her younger business self 
•  Why the CEO Shift is never truly finished 
•  Trudy’s advice for women ready to step into stronger leadership 

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Click here to learn more

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach here

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy

Connect with Trudy Heins

Website
LinkedIn

Connect with Fempire

Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

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In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Moriah Riona, founder of Moriah Riona Branding, to explore what really changes when a business owner stops trying to do everything herself and starts leading like a CEO. 

Moriah shares her journey from wedding photographer to luxury brand strategist, and how narrowing her niche, investing in mindset work and eventually building a team helped her grow from $50K to $100K, then into a multiple six-figure business.

Together, Trudy and Moriah unpack why being capable of doing everything does not mean you should, how outsourcing created the white space Moriah needed to become the visionary in her business, and why her biggest growth year also came with a shorter working week.

They also explore the relationship between branding, identity and leadership. Because a premium brand is not simply about beautiful design. It is about positioning, self-concept, knowing the value you bring and being willing to step into the level of business you want to lead.

The conversation also gets practical about delegation, hiring, having difficult conversations, letting go of perfectionism and building a team you can genuinely trust.

If you have become the bottleneck in your own business, or you know you are spending too much time doing work someone else could be doing, this episode is a reminder that growth often begins with getting out of your own way.

Connect with Moriah Riona

Website
LinkedIn

Episode Highlights

02:58 Moriah’s journey from wedding photography to luxury branding

05:00 What changed when she finally narrowed her niche

06:10 How mindset work helped Moriah grow from $50K to $100K

09:02 Moving from Chief Everything Officer to CEO

10:17 Creating white space to become the visionary

11:09 Tripling revenue while moving to a three-day work week

13:16 Why women feel pressure to do everything themselves

15:16 Entrepreneurship, identity and personal development

18:00 When branding becomes more than a logo or website

20:42 Self-concept and attracting premium clients

23:39 The mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur

25:20 Why business owners need other entrepreneurs around them

27:43 The practical shift from busy to strategic

29:19 How Moriah built a team she could genuinely trust

31:13 Feedback, communication and difficult conversations

33:47 Moriah’s biggest CEO Shift

34:09 Tripling revenue while working less

35:07 Designing a business around life, not just revenue

35:49 Why women need to invest money, not only time, into growth

37:00 Advice for the business owner who has become the bottleneck

37:30 Stop waiting for permission to step into your next level

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Click here to learn more

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach here

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy

Connect with Fempire

Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today, Trudy Heins sits down with Jenni Erbel and Nina Forbes, two highly experienced businesswomen whose careers have spanned financial services, leadership, business ownership and ultimately successful business exits.

What started as a conversation on Nina's driveway became a business they would build, grow and sell within five years. From the beginning, they had a number in mind and knew what they were working towards. That clarity shaped many of the decisions that followed.

Together, Trudy, Jenni and Nina explore what it takes to build a business with real value beyond its owners. They discuss exit planning, cash flow, profitability, delegation, people, processes, culture and why understanding your numbers is a responsibility that can never simply be handed to someone else.

They also unpack the importance of building for where you want the business to go, rather than only solving for what it needs today, and why knowing your own strengths may mean recognising that you don't have to be the CEO simply because you own the business.

If you've ever wondered whether you're building a valuable business or simply creating another job for yourself, this conversation is full of lessons from two women who have built, grown, sold and ultimately created the freedom to choose what came next.

Connect with Jenni Erbel and Nina Forbes

Jenni Erbel
LinkedIn

Nina Forbes
LinkedIn

Episode Highlights

03:14 Jenni's journey from teaching to financial services, business ownership and retirement

03:58 How a conversation on a driveway became their first business

05:11 Why they had an exit strategy from the beginning

07:35 Moving from technician to CEO

09:33 Building towards a number and finding the right business mentor

11:48 Why doing everything yourself limits business value

13:03 Cash flow, growth and the numbers you need to watch

15:15 Profit as the reward for taking the risk of business ownership

16:11 The mistakes and learning experiences behind the success

17:58 Knowing when an opportunity will derail your strategy

18:47 People, profit and process

20:01 Communication, culture and leading your team

21:16 Why culture can trump strategy

23:05 Building systems and structure for where the business is going

25:13 Why growth requires a longer-term view

27:00 Building the foundations for the business you ultimately want

38:17 Knowing when it was time to step away

40:15 Defining the end game and working backwards

40:52 From sharing one desk to taking over the entire floor

42:30 Backing yourself and creating options for the future

43:24 Why bigger businesses don't mean fewer mistakes

43:55 Season 4 Quickfire Questions

45:28 Why sustainable growth means stopping doing everything yourself

46:29 Knowing your numbers and measuring return on investment

47:22 What to do when you've become the bottleneck

48:32 Final thoughts and takeaways

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Click here to learn more

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach here

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy

Connect with Fempire

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today, Trudy Heins sits down with Hannah Conkey, founder of MindPilot, to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of business leadership: the brain behind the business.

As business owners, we spend years learning about marketing, finance and strategy, yet very few of us ever learn how our brains influence the way we think, make decisions, respond to stress and lead our teams.

Together, Trudy and Hannah discuss the neuroscience behind the CEO Shift, why so many business owners become trapped in survival mode, how stress and decision fatigue affect performance, and the practical habits that help leaders think more clearly, make better decisions and create sustainable success.

They also explore emotional regulation, energy management, sleep, movement, delegation and why becoming a better CEO starts with understanding yourself before trying to improve your business.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed, struggled to switch off, or wondered why you know what to do but still find yourself stuck in the day-to-day, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Hannah Conkey

Website: MindPilot

LinkedIn: Hannah Conkey

Episode Highlights

02:50 Hannah's journey from corporate leadership to neuroscience

05:32 Why understanding the brain changes the way we lead

10:38 Survival mode versus intentional leadership

13:14 Why your brain resists change

16:09 What really happens during the CEO Shift

19:48 Decision fatigue and why business owners get stuck

23:13 The impact of stress on leadership and performance

27:50 Helping teams move beyond constant overwhelm

32:48 Measuring performance through neuroscience

36:03 Why wellbeing is a commercial advantage

40:59 Sleep, recovery and sustainable leadership

46:39 Practical habits that improve decision making

48:29 Letting go and trusting others to lead

52:20 Why exhaustion should never be a badge of honour

52:36 Hannah's advice for women ready to make their CEO Shift

54:34 Final thoughts and takeaways

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Today, Trudy Heins sits down with Samantha Bottegal, founder of PEKO PEKO and a Fempire Certified Business Coach, to explore one of the most difficult parts of business leadership: what happens when things don't go to plan.

After building a thriving food business from the ground up, Samantha faced one of the biggest challenges many business owners experience but rarely talk about. Trusting the wrong people, navigating leadership setbacks and rebuilding both her business and her confidence.

Together, Trudy and Samantha discuss why strong values create stronger businesses, the transition from operator to CEO, the importance of hiring well, setting clear expectations, and learning that leadership is not about avoiding mistakes but responding well when they happen.

They also explore resilience, accountability, coaching, systems, culture and why setbacks often become the lessons that shape stronger leaders.

If you've ever questioned your leadership, struggled after making the wrong hire, or wondered how to rebuild your confidence after a setback, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Samantha Bottegal

Website: PEKO PEKO
LinkedIn: Samantha Bottegal

Episode Highlights

02:47 Samantha's journey from Japan to business ownership

07:19 Building a business on strong foundations and values

09:24 Recognising it was time to stop doing everything

10:24 The cost of trying to do it all

12:22 Hiring leaders and learning to let go

16:51 When leadership doesn't go to plan

20:04 Difficult conversations and rebuilding confidence

22:43 Trust, accountability and learning from mistakes

24:36 Looking inward before pointing outward

26:05 Overcoming guilt, shame and self-doubt

28:43 Why every business owner needs support

31:12 Building better systems and stronger teams

35:18 Returning to your values as a leader

40:25 Season 4 Quickfire Questions

47:33 Final thoughts and takeaways

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Click here to learn more

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach here

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy

Connect with Fempire

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Today, Trudy Heins sits down with Caroline Cavanagh, Director of Jubilee Legal, to explore one of the most overlooked responsibilities of business leadership: protecting the business you've worked so hard to build.

Many business owners spend years growing profitable businesses and valuable assets, yet very few stop to consider what could happen if life takes an unexpected turn.

Together, Trudy and Caroline discuss why CEOs think about risk before it becomes a crisis, the role of financial agreements, estate planning and asset protection, and why these conversations are not just legal matters, but commercial decisions.

They also explore Caroline's approach to Dignified Divorce, the importance of creating strong business foundations, and why the best time to protect your business is long before you ever think you'll need to.

If you've ever assumed asset protection was something to deal with later, or wondered how to build a business that's prepared for whatever life brings, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Caroline Cavanagh

Website: Jubilee Legal

LinkedIn: Caroline Cavanagh

Episode Highlights

02:42 Caroline's journey into family law

04:43 Moving from practitioner to business leader

07:15 Scaling through consultants instead of employees

08:51 Why CEOs think about risk differently

11:41 The financial consequences of relationships

13:26 What every business owner should know about financial agreements

18:57 Why asset protection starts from day one

21:03 Financial agreements as business planning

25:09 Why estate planning and asset protection go hand in hand

27:16 The thinking behind Dignified Divorce

31:16 Protecting the assets that matter most

33:49 Caroline's own CEO Shift

35:03 Letting go of doing everything yourself

37:56 Designing a business around the life you want

38:58 Looking five years ahead

39:16 Why working with a coach changes everything

40:25 Season 4 Quickfire Questions

47:15 Final thoughts and takeaways

Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach

If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation.

Click here to learn more

Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach

Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership?

Find your coach here

Join the Fempire Academy

Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Join the Academy

Connect with Fempire

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Support the show