Renegade Ventures

In this episode, hosts Ellie and Maggie sit down with entrepreneur Tawana Bain to explore her journey of resilience and self-discovery. Reflecting on her high school graduation, Tawana shares feelings of fear and uncertainty, admitting she hadn't yet recognized her own gifts. Despite personal struggles, she recalls an innate ability to solve problems and connect with people. The discussion highlights the challenge of identifying and nurturing unique talents, especially when they don't align with traditional expectations.

After high school, Tawana chose to attend Brockport College, initially without a clear direction. Living in the inner city, she made intuitive choices, eventually majoring in French and minoring in computer science, later swapping them. The conversation delves into her self-directed nature and the challenges it posed within her family dynamics. She reflects on parenting her own grandchildren, recognizing similar traits and striving to nurture them differently. Her early career included a year in France to hone her language skills, followed by work in a call center where she utilized both her French and tech background. Facing career roadblocks, she pivoted to a small design firm, where her problem-solving skills shone in high-level meetings. The hosts discuss the importance of speaking up, unlearning fear, and the value of supportive mentors—or the lack thereof.

Tawana's entrepreneurial journey takes her to Miami for a commission sales job, and later to Louisville, Kentucky. Balancing work and motherhood, she eventually leaves a job to help launch a payroll business for an entrepreneur. After building the business, she departs to start her own company, Back Office Marketing, leveraging her network and skills in telemarketing and lead generation. The group discusses the challenges of control, equity, and incentivizing key team members in small businesses. Tawana shares her philosophy on rewarding dedication and the lessons learned from not having ownership in ventures she helped build. Her ventures expand to include TBA & Co., a company that blends for-profit business with nonprofit values, emphasizing community connection and social impact. She also opens a boutique and purchases Black Jockey’s Lounge, using delayed receivables to fund new ventures.

The conversation shifts to Tawana's role as a Black woman entrepreneur in underrepresented spaces and the importance of visibility for inspiring others. She discusses her latest venture as CEO of American Clean Resources Group, a publicly traded firm focused on building a massive renewable energy industrial park in Nevada. The project aims to generate clean energy while boosting industrial production, economic growth, and job opportunities. Tawana describes the project's scale, innovation, and bipartisan support, as well as her excitement in combining creativity with operational expertise. The hosts and Tawana discuss the tension between leading with social good and articulating a strong business value proposition. Tawana shares her evolution: learning to balance doing good with making money and helping others see the value in both. The episode wraps with encouragement for entrepreneurs to embrace both profit and purpose, with the hosts expressing excitement for Tawana’s future chapters and thanking her for sharing her journey and insights.

On today's episode we Maggie, Ellie, and guest Jen Hartmann founder of NEAT, a boutique PR agency located in Louisville, Kentucky discuss the nature of growth and change as a business owner.

This conversation covers the risk calculus so many small business owners face as growth raises the stakes. From her early like as a BMX champion, to her agency owner, and her life with acquisitions.

Amy Meredith, co-founder and executive director of UP for Women and Children, has transformed her personal and professional experiences into a mission to combat homelessness in Louisville. Drawing from her early involvement in her family's manufacturing business and subsequent roles in marketing and business development, Amy co-founded UP in 2017 with Andrea Scott. Recognizing a critical gap in services for women and children experiencing homelessness, they established Louisville’s first and only women-only day shelter. Since opening its doors in 2018, UP has provided essential services such as showers, secure storage, and case management, serving over 3,000 individuals and assisting more than 500 in securing permanent housing. WLKY

Under Amy's leadership, UP operates as a hub, connecting guests with vital resources including legal aid, housing assistance, and healthcare services. The organization has seen a significant increase in demand, with a 60% rise in service needs reported in 2023. Currently open three days a week, UP plans to expand its hours and physical space to accommodate the growing need. Amy emphasizes the importance of providing a safe and supportive environment, stating, "Sometimes it's just having a safe space to be for the day." WLKY

Amy's dedication to social impact has been recognized through several accolades, including the 2023 Nonprofit Visionary Leader Award from Louisville Business First. She was also nominated for the 2024 Today’s Woman “Most Admired Woman” award in Community and Sisterhood. Her approach to nonprofit leadership mirrors that of running a business, focusing on sustainable staffing, strategic growth, and community collaboration. In 2024, UP received a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 Louisville, enabling further expansion of services to meet the increasing needs of women and children facing homelessness. UP For Women and Children

Looking ahead, Amy and the UP team are preparing to address emerging challenges, such as the maternal health crisis, while continuing to advocate for vulnerable populations. Their commitment to providing comprehensive support and fostering community partnerships positions UP as a vital resource in Louisville's efforts to combat homelessness. Through resilience and innovation, Amy Meredith exemplifies how entrepreneurial skills can drive meaningful change in the nonprofit sector.

Key Topics: 

1:08 - Introducing today’s guest Amy Meredith. 

2:15 - Amy’s Early Career and Influences. 

6:01 - Business Challenges, Loss, Personal Life Struggles. 

11:41 - Amy’s Career Shift and Finding New Purpose. 

14:16 -  The Need for a Day Center for Women and Children. 

20:31 - ​​Growth and Expansion Amidst Challenges. 

22:59 - Serving Diverse Community Needs. 

26:02 - The Growth and Financial Aspects of Nonprofits. 

29:09 - Preparing for Future Challenges. 

Links: 

Learn more about Ellie Puckett and Maggie Harlow. 

Learn more about Up for Women and Children. 

Welcome to Renegade Ventures, where we explore diverse paths to business ownership. We dive into the world of acquiring, growing, and selling businesses by sharing the real-life journeys of women renegades who transformed the lives of their families, employees, and communities. Hosted by Ellie Puckett and Maggie Harlow—both business owners, acquisition experts, and advocates for women—this show is your guide to business ownership with heart.

Today’s guest is Emily Chandler, a dynamic entrepreneur with an unconventional journey rooted in service, adaptability, and the pursuit of meaningful work. From dreams of veterinary medicine to banking, startups, and personal assisting, Emily’s path reflects the power of following your intuition and embracing change.

Emily shares how her career shifted from corporate roles to launching her own venture, Leave it to E—a luxury concierge and personal assisting service. The inspiration came after a pivotal dinner with a respected couple who offered encouragement and even investment support. Though she initially wrestled with imposter syndrome, Emily took time for self-reflection and realized that her greatest strengths—serving others and building deep relationships—could form the foundation of a purpose-driven business.

Now three years in, Emily discusses the lessons she’s learned, including the danger of stretching her business too thin by trying to be everything for everyone. One of her key takeaways? Say no when something doesn’t align with your mission. Her focus is on building a service that helps people concentrate on what matters most in their lives, whether it’s managing household logistics or easing emotional burdens.

Emily emphasizes the difference between completing tasks and building relationships. From scheduling oil changes to anticipating summer camp signups, her work is proactive, intuitive, and grounded in trust. She also touches on the cultural barriers she’s faced—particularly among women in Louisville who feel pressured to “do it all” without help—versus the openness to outsourcing she sees from transplants.

Hiring has been another challenge, as Emily looks for team members who possess initiative, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence—traits that don’t always show up on resumes. Delegation doesn’t come naturally to her, but learning to let go has helped her grow as a leader. She also shares how her investors gave her the space to lead independently, which has been vital to her confidence and development as a founder.

During onboarding, Emily helps clients identify their biggest stressors—whether it’s laundry, meal planning, or navigating care for elderly loved ones—and shows them how much can be lifted off their plates. What often begins as five hours a week of support grows into a deeper partnership as clients recognize the freedom and peace it brings.

In closing, Emily encourages women to gift support to others—whether it’s time, help, or concierge hours—and help normalize receiving help. She’s passionate about making life easier for others and welcomes conversations with anyone exploring the idea of getting or giving support. Emily’s story is a testament to the power of service, relationships, and doing business with heart.

Key Topics:

1:08 - Introducing today’s guest Emily Chandler.

7:41 - Full-time shift, hiring, mental load support

15:21 - Anticipating needs and forming deep client relationships

21:45 - Leave it to E’s personalized services

23:30 - Cultural resistance, mom guilt, regional differences

26:09 – Outsourcing stigma and positive mindset shifts

30:06 - The intangible skills of support and the power of delegation

40:44 - The importance of support in different life stages

42:12 - The value of outsourcing and overcoming emotional barriers

48:33 - Encouraging others to accept help

In this episode Maggie and Ellie sit down with a rising-star and all around MVP - Olivia Wang of Wang’s Window Washing. From Olivia’s TWO master’s degrees, early itch for entrepreneurship, to her professional women’s tackle football career - Olivia tackles every goal head-on. This episode discusses the long-term goals of starting a small business, and how the lessons can be replicated and scaled. 

Young Dreamer’s Fund

Wang's Window Washing is empowering underserved Louisville & Lexington youth (ages 13-21) with financial support, mentorship, and resources to turn their innovative ideas into reality, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and community connections. 

More information about the Young Dreamer’s Fund here.

Today, Ellie and Maggie are joined by Jenna Ahern of Guardian Owl Digital. As a college student, she and two other women co-founded Bluegrass Premier, a field hockey club in Louisville, simply because they saw a need for it. She did not view this as business ownership at the time but rather as a practical solution to an unmet demand. After setting up the club, she decided to focus on her career in the automotive industry. It wasn’t until later that she recognized her entrepreneurial tendencies. 

 The discussion turns to how both Jenna and Maggie began their careers in the male-dominated automotive industry. Recognizing the industry’s shift toward digital marketing, Jenna leveraged her expertise in Google Ads and analytics to help businesses optimize their digital investments. This led her to start Guardian Out Digital, a venture quickly grew, fueled by a demand for digital marketing expertise among small and mid-sized businesses struggling to navigate the online landscape.

Jenna admits that she did not originally plan to build a company with employees; instead, her business evolved naturally out of a need she identified. At just 24 years old, she took a leap into entrepreneurship. Jenna draws strong parallels between her experience as an athlete and her approach to business leadership. Jenna also discusses the challenges she faced as a woman in the automotive and business sectors, where pushing back against established norms was often unwelcome.  Early in her career, she had to learn how to strategically navigate workplace politics, often tempering her opinions to avoid conflict. However, this ultimately led her to realize that entrepreneurship was the best path for her.

 After taking full control of the company, Jenna faced the reality of sustaining and scaling the business. The conversation shifts to the nature of Jenna’s business, an SEO and digital marketing agency, and how many clients initially misunderstand the complexities of online advertising. Her motivation for starting the company stemmed from a desire to educate and guide small businesses toward smarter digital marketing strategies. The role of advisor and advocate solidified her purpose in the industry, helping businesses navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape. Jenna stresses the necessity for business owners to educate themselves on digital marketing fundamentals, even if they plan to outsource it later. By doing so, they can better understand how these platforms connect and when the right time is to invest in professional services. She emphasizes that SEO is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix, and that small businesses should only invest in it when it aligns with their financial and operational goals. Before investing in SEO or paid advertising, they need clarity on their customer base, their value proposition, and why their business exists.

GuardianOwl has refined its expertise in digital marketing across various industries, including e-commerce, B2B, manufacturing, and automotive. Over the years, they have tested different digital marketing approaches and partnerships, ultimately building a trustworthy, results-driven process. In closing, Jenna looks forward to the future of her women-led company. 

Key Topics: 

1:08 - Introducing today’s guest Jenna Ahern. 

5:03 - Jenna’s Experience in the Automotive Industry. 

10:16 - The progression into Business Ownership. 

13:32 - Navigating Male-Dominated Industries. 

17:32 - Forming a Business Partnership and its Challenges. 

20:58 - Building a Sustainable Business Model. 

24:19 - Laying the Foundation for Digital Marketing Success. 

26:34 - The Reality Behind Entrepreneurial Success. 

31:31 - Servant Leadership and Business Growth. 

39:12 - Building a Support Network for Women Entrepreneurs. 

42:22 - Rebuilding and Expanding GuardianOwl. 

Links: 

Learn more about ⁠Ellie Puckett⁠ and ⁠Maggie Harlow⁠. 

Learn more about ⁠Jenna Ahern⁠.

What happens to your business if something were to happen to you? Who takes over when you retire? If someone walked in today and offered to buy your business, what would the magic number be? If you don’t have the answers, we get it. And so does Jessica Fialkovich, whose business consulting work at Exit Factor is designed to prepare business owners for all the above.

Experiencing the layoffs of 2008 was an eye-opening moment for Jessica. She realized that no corporate job was truly secure and that she would rather take control of her future than be at the mercy of decisions made by corporate executives. This realization led her toward entrepreneurship, valuing the autonomy and risk-taking aspects of business ownership over the false security of traditional employment. After losing her corporate job, Jessica and her husband decided to open a luxury wine shop in Southwest Florida, using their savings and guidance from friends in the industry. Despite being new to the field, they embraced the challenge and foundsuccess by entering the market during an economic downturn when many competitors were struggling or closing. Jessica and her husband entered the wine business with complementary skill sets—Jessica’s expertise was in sales and marketing, while her husband had experience in finance and product buying from his family's fish business. At just 24 years old, they had the advantage of not having financial burdens like a mortgage or children. This minimized their risk and gave them the freedom to take a leap into business ownership. Jessica shares an important lesson for entrepreneurs: business success is not necessarily about industry expertise but about knowing how to run a business. After 39 months of owning the wine business, Jessica and her husband decided to sell the company and move back to Colorado. The experience selling her business exposed her to the flaws in the brokerage industry.

While their broker found a buyer, he did little else to support the transaction. Jessica’s frustrating experience with her own business sale inspired her to launch Exit Factor, a company that helps business owners prepare for their exit. Many entrepreneurs, like Jessica, do not plan ahead and miss opportunities to maximize their sale price. Exit Factor works with business owners to improve profitability, reduce dependence on the owner, and ensure the company operates efficiently, ultimately increasing its value and making the exit process smoother.

Jessica explains that franchising success depends on strong systems, leadership, and the ability to train others. Many business owners mistakenly believe they can simply convert their existing business into a franchise without considering the extensive support required. In closing, Jessica highlights how business owners can connect with Exit Factor for guidance in preparing for a successful exit. The company’s website provides resources, including a valuation calculator and a directory of franchise locations across the U.S. She also highlights her book, Getting the Most for Selling Your Business, available on Amazon, and teases an upcoming book that will focus on the early stages of exit planning, set for release in May.

Key Topics:

1:23 - Jessica’s Early Career Aspirations.

4:17 - Leaving the Sports Industry and a Career Shift.

8:42 - Venturing into Business Ownership.

13:35 - The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Industry Adaptation.

15:00 - Exiting the Wine Business and Moving Forward.

21:30 - Launching Exit Factor.

25:17 - Navigating Succession Planning Conversations.

29:12 - The Small Business Exit Gap and Its Impact.

38:14 -The Challenges of Franchising and Leadership.

43:23 - How listeners can connect with Exit Factor.

Links:

Learn more about Ellie Puckett and Maggie Harlow.

Learn more about Jessica Fialkovich.

Ellie and Maggie talk entrepreneurship with Rivergreen Cocktails' founder Danielle Mann.

A former OBGYN and current practicing hospitalist, Danielle discusses how her love of learning and the research skills she acquired studying medicine played a crucial role in developing Rivergreen Cocktails and their flagship all-natural premium gin canned cocktail. The three discuss timing, taking breaks, and weighing risks and responsibilities while building a business.

Ellie, Maggie, and Cuddle Clones Co-founder Jennifer Williams discuss how ideas in business are easy, getting them done is the hard part. From actuarial work to making fluffy ( even feathered) clones of customers' pets, executing ideas is the hallmark of all good business. What can we all learn from businesses nothing like ours? How can imagining solutions to other industry problems teach us about our own?

Welcome back toRenegade Venturesfor Season 2! Ellie returns with a new co-host, Maggie Harlow. With years of business experience, Maggie brings an insightful perspective to theRenegade Ventures podcast. In this episode, Ellie and Maggie catch up on what they've been up to and share what’s in store for the season ahead.