She's That Founder: Stop Being The Bottleneck and Lead Smarter with AI

How can you stop waiting for permission and lead a community, a company, or a movement with confidence? 

How do you stay true to yourself and your dreams, when people say “no” more often than they say “yes” to you?  

And how can we stop wasting our talents, our time, and our energy so we can truly make an impact on the world? 

To answer these questions, I invited my friend, Broadway actress and podcast host, Ilana Levine to My Good Woman. 

Her podcast, Little Known Facts, gives people space to share their magnificence - because if there’s one thing Ilana excels at, it’s helping people unlock their true potential. Ilana has a gift for making her podcast guests and listeners feel at home because her conversations are unfiltered, raw, honest, and so freaking funny! 

And today the shoe is on the other foot. She’s in MY digital living room. Lucky me!

In this episode Ilana and I discuss

• Why podcasts are such a powerful way to find and elevate your voice
• Finding a way to do the work you love
• Fighting perfectionism
• How we can use humor as a tool to deal with challenges gracefully
• Giving people space to share their magnificence

This episode at a glance:

[09:36] Staying true to yourself and to your dream, despite the naysayers. How to hold on to the certainty that what you have to offer is unique and special - when many people are in your way. 

[12:45] Why women sometimes feel they need permission to do what they love (and how much talent, time and energy is wasted by that)

[23:07] Things that make your life move and work more smoothly: outsourcing what you don’t like to do.  

[39:45] Ilana looks at herself as a “producer”: someone who’s in charge of figuring out how to give everyone they work or live with the tools to bring out the best in them. 

[46:40] Why we need to own our roles as leaders - and how that starts at home, with our family and our community. (and the introduction of hashtag #uniquequal)

[50:52] The message Ilana would put on her Times Square billboard: “Believe!” We need to believe that we have every right to have our voices heard and ideas shared. That we are worthy of a place at whatever table we want to sit at. 

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Check out the episode of Little Known Facts with Eduardo Braniff 
• Read “Leadership and Self-deception” by the Arbinger Institute
• Find the Little Known Facts podcast here, follow Ilana on Instagram and Facebook, or connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter 

You might also like

• 4 books that make you a better leader
• Revisiting your vision, mission & values
• How to break free from the perfectionism trap

More about “My Good Woman”

My Good Woman is hosted by me, Dawn Andrews! I’m a happily married hockey mom, proud female leader, and founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking, where we turn founders into confident CEOs

Send us Fan Mail

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

Have you ever stopped to think about how much more we could accomplish if we weren’t trying to be perfect? How much time, energy, and talent goes to waste because we feel what we’ve got is not good enough? 

Today’s episode goes out to all of us trying to be perfect. The perfect mom, wife, friend and business owner. We want to make a change and make an impact, but we won’t settle for less or allow ourselves to make even the tiniest mistake. Yeah… no pressure, then! 

In case we haven't met yet: I’m Dawn, proud mom of two amazing kids, courageous leader, public speaker, and founder of a highly successful business consulting firm.

I’m also a former beauty queen. And nothing will make a woman try to be perfect more than being (literally) judged all the time. A lot of good things came from my beauty pageant days, but one of the not-so-great byproducts was a burning need to be perfect. I spent so many years feeling like I had to be prepared for every eventuality, be ahead of the game, and know all the answers every time.   

In this episode, I’ll show  you how to let go of perfectionism and

• Take messy, rapid action
• Go for it (whatever your particular “it” might be) in spite of your fears
• Feel confident and proud of your work, even if the results aren’t 100% perfect

This episode at a glance:

[04:05] How fear held me back in my first two years of business. Fear of not being perfect keeps us from taking risks, moving forward, and achieving our goals. 

[06:17] Join me in an exercise in choosing progress over perfection. What are you doing now (or soon) that will make a huge difference in your life or business six months from now? 

[07:50] Why believing in perfection means believing that there’s only one right way to do something.

[09:49] How the alternative to perfectionism is not failure; it’s honesty and vulnerability which create connection. Being real and vulnerable makes you more likeable and relatable. People are drawn to authenticity. 

[12:11] The difference between striving for excellence and being a perfectionist.

Let me know what awkward action you’re taking today and how you’re letting go of perfectionism; I would love to hear from you! 

You might also like this article I wrote about how to let go of perfectionism so you can lead with confidence.

More about the “My Good Woman” podcast

My Good Woman is a podcast for new and future female leaders, hosted by me, Dawn Andrews! 

I’m a happily married hockey mom, proud female leader, and founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking, where we turn founders into confident CEOs with strategic consulting and leadership training.

Grab a seat at the table with me each week for candid conversations with culture-shifting, glass ceiling-busting, trailblazing women leading enterprises making a change in the world. 

We discuss what makes them tick and how they get it all done. And we share actionable strategies to help you and your team get organized - so you can focus on your company’s growth, profit and impact. 

If you liked what you heard, don’t forget to follow along, so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review before you go!

Send us Fan Mail

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

How can you stay true to yourself, even if the whole wide world is telling you to be different? 

From (not) networking in Hollywood as an introverted actress to turning an ADHD diagnosis into a wonderful opportunity to acquire new skills and techniques, Nicole J Butler does things her own way.

In the past 20 years, Nicole has appeared in over 100 commercials, television shows, and independent projects, including her self-produced web series, “Sister President”. 

But that level of success didn't come easily. Nicole moved to Hollywood with just $200. She got stuck with jobs that she hated, made it through terrible auditions, quit acting, and went broke. Then, after years of doing it wrong, she decided to stop following “the rules”… and started getting it right.

In this episode, Nicole and I talk about

• Being a leader and an introvert
• Iowa, intersectional invisibility and being a Black woman in Hollywood
• What working through burnout feels like
• A different perspective on being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult

This episode at a glance:

[10:34]  How Nicole turned political disenchantment into a compelling web series. 

[19:11] Getting through those "make or break" moments.  

[23:16] How to know if someone is a good match to work with: shared work ethics, values, and people who are a pleasure to be around. 

[27:58] Being a Black woman in Hollywood - from back when all the roles were bailiffs and policewomen... to now.  

[29:48] The conundrum of intersectional invisibility: being incredibly unique and visible - but at the same time finding it so much harder to get people to listen to you.

[36:18] Being an introvert in a traditionally extroverted field

[40:42] Why leadership is not about value or importance; it's about adding your unique talents to the big puzzle. 

[42:42] How even if leading is not your default setting, sometimes it’s necessary, a means to an end

[50:59] Working through burnout - mental and physical exhaustion

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Check out Nicole’s website
• Follow Nicole on Instagram or Twitter
• Watch Sister President on YouTube
• Read about breast cancer and/or find support at the National Breast Cancer Foundation
• Richard Branson on Dyslexia and Imagination
• Read more about burnout prevention and treatment 

More about the “My Good Woman” podcast

My Good Woman is a podcast for new and future female leaders hosted by me, Dawn Andrews! 

I’m a happily married hockey mom, proud female leader, and founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking, where we turn founders into confident CEOs with strategic consulting and leadership training.

Grab a seat at the table with me each week for candid conversations with culture-shifting, glass ceiling-busting, trailblazing women leading enterprises making a change in the world. 

We discuss what makes them tick and how they get it all done. And we share actionable strategies to help you and your team get organized - so you can focus on your company’s growth, profit and impact. 

If you liked what you heard, don’t forget to follow along, so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review before you go! 

Send us Fan Mail

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

No (wo)man is an island. 

Behind every successful female leader, there’s usually a group of women who listen, advise, support, coach, and lift each other up. Female business owners often face challenges that their male counterparts don’t, and they need a supportive community to ensure their success. 

Today, I’m being interviewed by one of my little group of Business BFFs - author, artist, screenwriter, and alignment coach, Rachel Archelaus. 

Rachel has seen me at my best and at my worst, and today we’re talking about the journey that led to this podcast. 

In this episode, Rachel  and I talk about

• My childhood role models and first steps in the entertainment industry
• Why it’s essential to have a community of  business friends who’ve got your back when you’re starting or growing something
• Growing pains (and crashing and burning) when you start a business… and how to avoid some of them
• How I created a training to help women in business uncover their true leadership potential
• The story of how My Good Woman came to be

This episode at a glance:

[04:52] Why I’m so passionate about helping women find their true calling as a leader and supporting each other to rise (because each of us is extraordinary in our own way, and the world needs to see that!) 

[10:20] How my mentor and former boss, Leanne, encouraged me to work out what I was really passionate about and use that discovery to start my own thing. 

[13:48] Why it’s so much harder to run a business when you want to do everything and help everybody ( the importance of finding your niche)

[17:46] How many women tend to sit behind the scenes and work out our ideas by ourselves, stuck in our own echo chamber, doing all the work to make it “picture perfect” before going into the world and road-testing something. And why it’s actually important to talk with others, and listen, before you develop your ideas. 

[19:23] What can go wrong when women try to lead like a man: the two sides of that coin

[23:10] How my mastermind group helped me overcome a burnout - and by asking the right questions, helped me uncover what I really wanted to do. Which, in the end, led to this podcast! 

Resources and Links mentioned in this episode

• Get clarity and confidence through art at Rachel Archelaus’ Intuitive Art Academy
• Follow Rachel on Instagram
• Find camp-inspired retreats for women at Campowerment.com

More about the “My Good Woman” podcast

My Good Woman is a podcast for new and future female leaders hosted by me, Dawn Andrews! 

I’m a happily married hockey mom, proud female leader, and founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking, where we turn founders into confident CEOs with strategic consulting and leadership training.

Grab a seat at the table with me each week for candid conversations with culture-shifting, glass ceiling-busting, trailblazing women leading enterprises making a change in the world. 

We discuss what makes them tick and how they get it all done. And we share actionable strategies to help you and your team get organized - so you can focus on your company’s growth, profit and impact. 

If you liked what you heard, don’t forget to follow along, so you never miss an episode. And before you go, leave us a review!

Send us Fan Mail

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

More about “My Good Woman”

My Good Woman is hosted by me Dawn Andrews! I’m a happily married hockey mom, proud female leader, and founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking, where we turn founders into confident CEOs with consulting and leadership training.

Grab a seat at my table for conversations with culture-shifting, glass ceiling-busting, trailblazing women making a change in the world. We discuss what makes them tick and how they get it all done. 

Send us Fan Mail

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

Welcome to My Good Woman, the podcast that takes you inside the lives and minds of culture-shifting, glass ceiling busting, trailblazing women, to learn what it takes to successfully lead a company, team, community, or movement. Hosted by Dawn Andrews, Founder, and CEO of Free Range Thinking.

More: 

• Subscribe: mygoodwoman.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mygoodwomanpodcast
• Strategy Consulting: freerangethinking.com

Send us Fan Mail

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.