Back in February, I had the pleasure of interviewing business coach and author Marisa Guthrie for the first episode of Season Two of The Awakening Woman Podcast.
Marisa describes herself as a “reluctant capitalist” — someone who recognises the realities of the economic systems we live within while also questioning the extractive values they often promote. Her work explores the complex relationship between women, wealth and capitalism, and in this episode, we talk through the tension many purpose-led women feel between profit and purpose, and what it might look like to build wealth without replicating systems of harm.
This conversation touches on themes of responsibility, sovereignty, burnout and the ways women are often conditioned to extract from themselves in order to succeed.
We also explore how alternative approaches — rooted in community, ecosystems and collaboration — might offer a different path forward.
This is a rich and reflective conversation about the deeper questions surrounding money, work and what it means to create sustainable change in the world.
In This Episode We Speak About:
* Why many women feel conflicted about wealth and profit
* The concept of “self-extraction” and why it leads to burnout
* How capitalism shapes the way we think about success and work
* The myth of bootstrapping and the power of networks and relationships
* Why building wealth comes with responsibility
* The importance of caring for ourselves before trying to change the world
* Rethinking individual success through an ecosystem lens
Just below, you’ll find a handy crib sheet of the key people, terms and ideas mentioned in this episode (thanks, Claude).
About Marisa Guthrie
Marisa Guthrie is a business coach and author of The Reluctant Capitalist.
With over 30 years at the sharp edge of ethical enterprise as a serial founder, CEO, Managing Director of a cross-party think tank, and advisor to an All-Party Parliamentary Group on micro business, she has seen what purpose-driven business looks like when it works, and when it quietly collapses under the weight of a misaligned model.
She now supports solo and micro entrepreneurs in navigating the space between profit and purpose as they build businesses aligned with their values.
She brings a systemic lens to business, helping them generate wealth ethically and sustainably without replicating the extractive patterns often embedded in modern entrepreneurship.
You can find Marisa on Substack.
The Reluctant Capitalist Book and October Summit
Marisa will be hosting her Make Money, Make Change summit in October, which will go deeper into the ideas behind the book, in conversation with others who are also building differently.
Marisa is offering a free summit ticket to those who purchase a copy of her book. You can find the full details for the book and the summit on Marisa’s Substack.
About The Awakening Woman Podcast
The Awakening Woman Podcast is a monthly podcast focusing on what it means for women to live, create and build in deeper alignment with themselves and the world around them.
Through conversations with writers, thinkers and practitioners, we will explore themes of:
* embodiment, healing and spirituality
* systems and society
* creativity and sovereignty
* wealth, work and liberation
If something in this conversation resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you.
You can join the conversation by sharing your reflections in the comments.
A bit about me...
Hi, I’m Florence. Mother, writer, and voice and visibility midwife for women returning to themselves and their creative expression. I work with women—particularly mothers—who sense there is more truth, more life, and more of their voice waiting to be lived and expressed.
Through my writing, podcast, 1:1 Threshold support, and the Embodied Living Circle, I hold spaces that invite honesty, embodiment, and self-trust—so women can move at the speed of their own truth and create from a place that feels deeply aligned.
For women ready to birth their medicine into the world, I offer Creatrix-level support rooted in psychology-informed learning and content design—supporting embodied transformation and work that creates lasting, meaningful impact.
Visit my Work With Me page or message me directly to explore alignment.
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