Melissa Bernstein is the cofounder of Melissa & Doug, the billion-dollar toy company she built from her parents’ garage. But behind the bright products was a hidden darkness. Melissa spent decades battling existential despair—until she finally came out as her true self. She then built her newest venture Lifelines to help others do the same. In this episode, she shares how creativity, purpose, and radical self-acceptance changed everything.

Our new story sharing platform SAYge Link is now live in beta! Join using special invite code: FEMALEFOUNDER

After 20 years in corporate marketing and a pivotal role taking a fintech company public, Lenore Kantor hit a wall. What followed was not just a leap into entrepreneurship, but a full reorientation of how she works, who she serves, and how she lives. Now the founder of ⁠Growth Warrior⁠, a ⁠SAYge Pro⁠ coach, and author of “So What Do You Do?” Lenore helps leaders evolve by aligning their inner clarity with outer action. In this episode, she shares how she went from overbuilt to intentional, from burned out to boundaried — and why less, when it’s aligned, is so often more.

✨ We are launching SAYge LINK, a connection platform to bring women together through shared stories - for real support. Learn more and sign up at www.saygelink.com

Zhenni Wu, co-founder and go-to-market leader at Puppygraph, brings the wisdom of navigating her fourth startup to the conversation. With a background at Apple, Baidu, and multiple early-stage ventures, Zhenni shares her expertise on building the right team, leveraging strategic hiring, and fostering support networks. Alongside additional growth hacking tips, Zhenni also offers insightful advice on balancing the entrepreneurial hustle with self-care.

Check out Puppygraph: https://www.puppygraph.com

Connect with Zhenni and new founders each week at www.saygelink.com/substack

What if success isn’t about immediate wins, but about learning to trust the process—especially when the results aren’t visible yet? We sit down with Elmira Bayrasli, co-founder of Interruptrr - a platform and newsletter providing a stage for women to be heard. After years in foreign policy, that brought from being a presidential appointee under Madeleine Albright to spearheading media communication strategies for The Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe, she saw a recurring pattern: women weren’t just being left out; they weren’t being invited in. She built the platform that she needed, one that amplifies female expertise in traditionally male-dominated spaces. She founded Interruptrr to have women to be a bigger part of the conversation. Despite an impressive career and incredible accomplishments, Elmira has wrestled with a challenge so many founders face: an internal battle with not feeling capable, questioning her impact. The struggle with lack of tangible proof of success is real for many of us. Elmira learned that progress isn’t always visible. The key is persistence, trusting the work, and showing up even when self-doubt tries to keep you quiet. They key to moving past this fear, is to redefine what success looks like on a daily basis. 

Get on the wait list for SAYge Link's connection platform launching in May!

Eliza Blank is the founder and CEO of The Sill, the company that turned houseplants into a modern lifestyle essential and built a multi-million dollar, category-defining brand. But bringing her vision to life wasn’t straightforward.

In this episode, Eliza shares the unfiltered reality of starting and scaling The Sill—from the uncertainty of taking the leap, to seeking validation from a cofounder and customers, to navigating the challenges of funding and growth. She reflects on the early struggles of an unscalable model, scaling through an evolving retail landscape, and raising capital while becoming a mother. Her story is a powerful reminder that building something lasting isn’t about certainty—it’s about following your customers, trusting your mission and showing up.

Sign upfor SAYge Link's connection app launching next month!

LuAnn Daniel is the founder and executive director of Women Rock, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women facing breast cancer. After three decades of experience in diagnostic imaging, she witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of late-stage diagnoses, especially among women who lacked access to early detection. But it was the loss of her close friend, Susan Hicks, to breast cancer that gave her the final push to do something. In 2010, she transformed her grief into purpose, launchingWomen Rock, Inc. to provide financial assistance, education, and emotional support to women in need. Luanne shares her journey of building a nonprofit from the ground up, the lessons she’s learned about asking for funding and support, and why female founders must embrace the power of the ask.

Connect with Luann and other incredible founders offering support to those on the journey at saygelink.substack.com

Danika Khong and Elizabeth Wu are the co-founders of Seismic, an HR tech platform transforming skills-based hiring for STEM professionals. Frustrated by the disconnect between academia and industry, they built a solution to empower job seekers to find better career paths and companies to have a better talent pipeline. With backgrounds in research and biotech, they turned their real world experiences in the problem space into a scalable business, securing over $1M in funding through investments and an NIH grant.

Beyond building an innovative hiring platform, Danika and Elizabeth have also mastered the art of co-founder partnerships—leveraging complementary strengths, maintaining open communication, and figuring out how to navigate even the most challenging days together. In this episode, they share insights on taking risks, securing funding, and what it takes to grow a mission-driven HR tech startup while sustaining a strong co-founder (and work-life) dynamic.

Juliette Blake is the founder of Moxies, a gamified social platform designed to help girls build digital literacy and confidence in a safe online environment. A two-time founder and mom of three, Juliette launched her first business, Miss O and Friends, in high school and grew it into a globally recognized brand for girls. She shares her candid journey of pivoting during the pandemic, navigating challenges of fundraising as a non-technical female founder, sifting through good (and bad) advice and balancing founder life as a mom of three. Her insights offer invaluable lessons on resilience and steadfast purpose. Whether you’re a founder on the rollercoaster or simply are inspired by stories of women solving big problems, this episode is a must-listen.

Learn more about Moxies here.

Connect with Juliette and other incredible female founders each week by joining the SAYge Real Female Founders community!

Tara Gilvar, founder of Believe, Inspire, Grow (B.I.G), turned a single email into a global women’s network with chapters spanning the East Coast and Europe . After leaving her 25-year corporate career to focus on family, Tara redefined her purpose and built an organization that helps women rediscover their ambitions and create fulfilling personal and professional lives. In this episode, she shares her journey of reinvention, the challenges of balancing passion with business goals, and the lessons she’s learned as a female entrepreneur.

Connect with Erica and meet other incredible female founders by subscribing to ⁠SAYge Real Female Founders⁠ (for free!)

Connect with Erica and meet other incredible female founders by subscribing to ⁠⁠SAYge Real Female Founders⁠⁠ (for free!)

⁠⁠Check out Believe, Inspire, Grow⁠⁠

Karen Helburn is founder and owner of Just Hatched, a luxury baby boutique specializing in retail and corporate baby gifting, based in Guilford, Connecticut. Karen has grown her business from modest beginnings at her kitchen table to a thriving operation with a global shipping program.

Karen started Just Hatched in response to a personal need when her newborn developed allergies to traditional fabrics. This challenge inspired her to source and sell organic, chemical-free baby products long before they were mainstream. She began with grassroots efforts like "Tupperware-style" home parties, building her customer base step by step. Karen navigated the challenges of balancing family and business as a single mother early on and was determined to cultivate a supportive work environment at Just Hatched, employing many mothers and embracing a culture of flexibility and mutual support. Her leadership lessons, from managing a small team to making major business investments, provide practical wisdom for entrepreneurs looking to build sustainable businesses with heart.

Connect with Karen, meet other business owners and join a real support network by subscribing to SAYge Real Female Founders (for free!)

Chapters:

00:00 Introductions

01:00 Karen's Journey and the Inception of Just Hatched

03:00 Starting Small and Growing

07:00 Taking Calculated Risks

11:00 Navigating Personal Challenges

15:00 Building a Strong Team and Culture

17:00 Navigating Work-Life Balance as a Female Business Owner

20:00 The Importance of People and Culture

23:00 Highlights

25:30 Pearls of Wisdom