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What it really takes to leave corporate with confidence and build a people-first business that actually works. Leaving a stable corporate role is rarely about courage alone. It’s about timing, clarity, and building the right support before you leap. On Dear FoundHer from the Forum, host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Jillian Bernstein, founder of The Wellness Extension, to unpack what the corporate-to-founder transition really looks like when it’s done thoughtfully. Jillian shares how she assessed her readiness, invested in learning where she had gaps, and resisted the pressure many women founders feel to rush decisions just to make it work. This episode challenges a common misconception about workplace well-being. Jillian explains why surface-level wellness initiatives often fall short for small business owners and how listening closely to clients led her to build a more comprehensive HR concierge model. Her pivots were shaped by real conversations, careful testing, and a willingness to evolve her services based on what businesses actually needed. At the center of it all is community. Jillian reflects on how her network supported her during the quiet early months of building her business and how she now creates paid opportunities for other women through her work. This conversation is for women founders who want to grow sustainably, think strategically, and stop trying to do everything alone. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Investing in Skills You Do Not Have as a Founder 02:52 Building an HR Concierge Business for Small Businesses 06:30 Knowing When You Are Ready to Leave Corporate 11:25 Revenue Goals, Business Pivots, and Sustainable Growth 16:27 The Key Decisions That Made This Business Work 19:49 Why Community and Network Matter for Women Founders Connect with Jillian Bernstein: Follow Wellness Extension on Instagram  Connect with Jillian on LinkedIn Visit the Wellness Extension Website Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're a woman business owner over 40, join the Dear FoundHer... Forum to find support, advice, resources and mentorship—JUST FOR YOU. It’s all inside, without the gatekeeping and without the overwhelm. If you’re a woman business owner over 40 who feels like growth should be louder or more complicated than it needs to be, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, Lindsay Pinchuk shares why real business growth rarely starts with a launch, funnel, or rebrand—and almost always starts with a conversation. Drawing from her experience building and exiting a seven-figure company, Lindsay explains how conversations have led to her biggest opportunities, partnerships, and long-term growth. You’ll learn why women over 40 are uniquely positioned to grow through relationships, how one aligned conversation can create more impact than ten pieces of content, and why community—not campaigns—is often the missing piece. If networking feels forced and marketing feels heavy, this episode will help you rethink what growth can look like. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many successful female founders and entrepreneurs are exhausted by planners, productivity advice, and the pressure to always do more, yet they still feel behind when it comes to time management. This episode of Dear FoundHer from the Forum slows that conversation down and asks why time feels so hard, even for capable, motivated women. Jill Beck, founder of Just Go Long and an accountability coach for women over 40, joins the discussion to talk about what she sees again and again in her work. The problem usually isn’t a lack of effort or the wrong system. It’s the absence of accountability in the middle of real life. Jill shares how she supports women through text-based accountability that fits into busy days rather than adding more to them. The conversation covers burnout, boundaries, confidence, and why it’s so hard to follow through when your plate is already full. Jill also shares how her business came together in a very unflashy way, built on trust, referrals, and showing up consistently rather than chasing attention or growth trends. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Productivity Systems Fail Without Accountability 02:27 Text-Based Accountability Coaching for Women Over 40 05:29 Burnout, Health, and Sustainable Time Management 06:48 The Time Pie Chart That Forces Real Tradeoffs 10:12 Visibility, Confidence, and Letting Go of Follower Obsession 16:04 Growing a Coaching Business Through Email and Referrals 23:24 What’s Next for Just Go Long and Corporate Time Overload Connect with Jill Beck: Follow Jill on Instagram Connect with Jill on LinkedIn Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring. This female founded business began as a side hustle in an apartment and grew into a 45-location, company-owned beauty brand by staying grounded in reality. Courtney Claghorn, president and founder of Sugared + Bronzed, a natural sugaring and spray tan company shares how the company took shape while she still worked full-time, learned the service herself, and paid attention to what customers were actually willing to buy. Early decisions focused on cash flow, reinvestment, and keeping costs manageable. Profitability set the pace from the start and made it possible to scale without franchising or giving up ownership. The conversation traces what changes when a side hustle demands more than spare time, how standards hold up as scale increases, and why systems replaced intuition as the business grew. Courtney also talks through choosing when to raise capital, adjusting during COVID, and building something that could keep growing without depending on her presence in every room. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 From Side Hustle To Growth At Scale: The Sugared + Bronzed Story   03:10 Identifying A Market Gap In The Spray Tan Industry   06:00 Early Customer Acquisition Without Social Media   07:00 Leaving A Corporate Job When Demand Takes Over   08:10 Bootstrapping The First Store And Prioritizing Profitability   14:50 Scaling Without Franchising Or Losing Control   16:10 Raising Capital After Proving The Business Model   17:30 Surviving COVID Through Creative Pivots   23:00 Maintaining Quality And Culture At Scale   34:00 Founder Advice On Moving Fast And Avoiding Overplanning  Connect with Courtney Claghorn: Follow Courtney on Instagram Visit the Sugared + Bronzed Website Follow Sugared + Bronzed on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring. Building a business around friendship sounds personal because it is, and Nina Badzin shares what it takes to do it with clarity and staying power. As the founder of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, she talks about turning years of writing and real reader questions into a podcast and newsletter that function as the business itself, not side projects. Nina also opens up about the relief and clarity she found when she stopped trying to sound like an expert and simply showed up as a writer. Nina also gets practical about sustainability, from how sponsorships support the podcast to how paid Substack subscriptions support the newsletter. She shares why waiting to monetize often slows momentum and how the right platform can create visibility without constant promotion. The conversation also touches on the role of community, including how the Dear FoundHer Forum helped her test ideas, host live events, and find support beyond her personal friendships. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introducing Dear FoundHer From the Forum and Nina Badzin 01:17 Turning Friendship Advice Into a Sustainable Business 07:55 Starting a Podcast During COVID 10:15 How Dear Nina Makes Money Through Sponsorships and Subscriptions 13:58 Why Substack Works for Newsletter Growth and Discovery 20:53 Why Community Matters More Than Friends in Business 23:55 Real Business Results From the Dear FoundHer Forum 27:11 Three Practical Lessons for New Business Owners Connect with Nina Badzin: Follow Nina on Instagram  Tune in to Nina’s Podcast: Dear Nina Conversations About Friendship Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring. A personal turning point became a company, a community, and a test of what values-driven leadership actually costs. Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about how a deeply personal reset evolved into a media company built on instinct, trust, and conviction. Zibby shares how her work as a podcaster grew from meaningful conversations with authors into live events, publishing, and a broader community shaped by paying close attention to what resonated. How do you keep building when there is no clear roadmap and the business keeps changing? Zibby shares how she makes decisions inside a business that refuses to stay static. She explains how creating an umbrella brand helped her clarify who the company exists for and what truly belongs, even when that meant letting go of projects she loved. Structure arrived when it was necessary, not because she chased scale, but because the work demanded it. Zibby also talks about the cost of showing up publicly with conviction after October 7th. She reflects on backlash, strained relationships, and the emotional weight of choosing to speak openly. That choice led her to step more fully into her role as an advocate, using Zibby Media to create an anthology that gathered stories and offered connection during a moment of crisis. This episode shows listeners what it really takes to grow a business without a script, hold firm to your values, and keep showing up when the stakes are personal as well as professional. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Leadership, Visibility, And Responsibility After October 7th   02:22 Building Zibby Media Without A Traditional Business Plan   06:01 Becoming A Podcaster And Turning Conversations Into Community   08:16 Expanding From Podcast To Publishing Company And Bookstore   13:55 Rebranding To Zibby Media And Creating An Umbrella Brand   18:31 How To Know When A Business Idea Is Not Working   22:46 The Cost Of Speaking Publicly And Staying Authentic   26:45 National Book Awards Decision And Defining Values In Business   29:05 Creating An Anthology And Stepping Into Advocacy   34:39 The Hard Realities Of Growth: Hiring, Events, And Monetization   40:58 Advice For Women Building A Business Connect with Zibby Owens: Follow Zibby on Instagram  Follow Zibby Publishing on Instagram   Follow Zibby’s Bookshop on Instagram  Follow Totally Booked with Zibby on Instagram   Visit Zibby Media  Visit Zibby’s website Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Event on January 28th to meet other amazing women business owners just like you. RSVP HERE to save yourself a seat, it's free. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two simple, proven ways to get new clients in 2026, without ads, funnels, or burnout. Lindsay Pinchuk shares the email every entrepreneur forgets to send and the LinkedIn strategy that activates your network and drives real revenue. Perfect for women business owners over 40 building their next chapter. If you're a woman business owner over 40 and you’re wondering how to get more clients in 2026, without ads, complicated funnels, or burnout, this episode is for you. In this special teaser episode ahead of Season 5 of Dear FoundHer…, host Lindsay Pinchuk shares the two simplest and most effective client acquisition strategies she’s used at every stage of her career, from launching her first company to building a seven-figure business and scaling Dear FoundHer. You’ll learn: ✔️ The one email every entrepreneur forgets to send — and why it’s your most powerful lead generator ✔️ How to activate your existing network to get new clients faster ✔️ How to use LinkedIn for business development (without cold pitching or awkward sales messages) ✔️ Why “doing great work” isn’t enough — and what actually creates momentum ✔️ The exact strategy Lindsay used when she woke up one January with zero clients What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to write THAT email — the announcement email that activates your network and generates referrals, clients, and opportunitiesWhy your existing network is your fastest path to revenueHow to use LinkedIn intentionally for business growthThe outbound strategy that landed multiple clients in weeksHow to create momentum when your pipeline is emptyWhy visibility is the real growth lever for women entrepreneurs over 40This episode is for: Women business owners over 40Female founders starting a business later in lifeCareer pivoters building a second actConsultants, coaches, service providers, and foundersEntrepreneurs who want more clients without relying on social media trendsWomen who want simple, proven marketing strategies that actually convert If you're starting a business after 40, pivoting careers, or rebuilding momentum in a new season of life, this episode gives you a clear, simple roadmap to getting visible and getting paid. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just real strategies that work. Grab THAT email. Grab THOSE LinkedIn message templates. Follow Dear FoundHer... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you missed our holiday Dear FoundHer... Forum promo, you didn’t miss your chance. We’re offering one final opportunity to join the Dear FoundHer… Forum at a special rate before they go up in January. Use the code LASTCHANCE for 20% off through December 31st. CLICK HERE TO JOIN US. Momentum grows faster when you’re not building alone. Community is the difference. In the final episode of 2025, Host, Lindsay Pinchuk, reflects on a year defined by momentum—not hustle, but intentional business growth built through community. This solo episode looks back on the wins, challenges, and lessons that shaped the Dear FoundHer… ecosystem in 2025 and shares what it really takes to build a business that’s sustainable, aligned, and built to last. Lindsay breaks down what this year reinforced about growth after 40, the power of boundaries, and why community compounds faster than content. You’ll hear the lessons Lindsay is carrying into 2026—focused on sustainability, clarity, and future goals—along with a reminder that meaningful growth doesn’t come from doing more, but from doing what works. If you’re closing out the year reflecting on what’s next and craving momentum that feels steady instead of exhausting, this episode is for you. Make sure you follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The FoundHer Files.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you missed our holiday Dear FoundHer... Forum promo, you didn’t miss your chance. We’re offering one final opportunity to join the Dear FoundHer… Forum at a special rate before they go up in January. Use the code LASTCHANCE for 20% off through December 31st. CLICK HERE TO JOIN US Community isn’t a trend. It’s the business—and it always has been. As the year comes to a close, Host, Lindsay Pinchuk, reflects on the one thing behind every milestone inside Dear FoundHer…: community. In this solo episode, Lindsay shares why connection has always been the foundation of real business growth—long before algorithms, trends, or social media experts declared it so. From building a seven-figure company without a marketing budget to creating spaces where women truly support one another, this episode is a reminder that people don’t stay loyal to platforms. They stay loyal to people. You’ll hear why community isn’t a “nice to have,” but essential infrastructure for entrepreneurs—especially women in business—and walk away with simple, practical ways to start building (and deepening) connection right now. In this episode, we cover: Why community is the business—not a trendHow connection and trust fuel sustainable growthSimple ways to build community without overcomplicating itHow support and networking create resilience when things get hardFive strategies for creating connection with your community in order to sustain it. If you’re building a business and want more than vanity metrics—more connection, more support, and more people in your corner, this episode is for you. Make sure you follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The FoundHer Files. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're a woman business owner over 40, join the Dear FoundHer... Forum to find support, advice, resources and mentorship—JUST FOR YOU. It’s all inside, without the gatekeeping and without the overwhelm. Building a real business became possible for Dr. Lisa Klein when she stopped trying to do everything alone and chose to grow inside a community of women who understood the work. Lindsay Pinchuk talks with pediatrician and Turning Teen founder Dr. Lisa Klein about how a deeply personal idea grew into a legitimate business with national reach. Turning Teen began as a response to a need Dr. Klein saw in her medical practice, parents who wanted support talking with their kids about puberty, body image, emotions, and sex education but did not know where to start. What began as small workshops in living rooms evolved into structured programming for schools, community groups, and families across multiple cities. Dr. Klein shares how joining the Dear Found Her Forum and participating in Marketing Made Simple helped her move from treating Turning Teen as a side project to running it as a real business. Being surrounded by other women builders gave her clarity, accountability, and confidence as she learned marketing, partnerships, hiring, and systems. How different does growth feel when you are not figuring it out alone? The conversation points out how community relationships turned into real opportunities, from strategic partnerships to new offerings and large scale events. Dr. Klein’s story is a reminder that sustainable growth often comes from shared experience, steady action, and the right people in your corner. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Dr. Lisa Klein and the Mission Behind Turning Teen 03:18 Why Turning Teen Started and the Real Problem It Solves 04:47 From Small Workshops to a Scalable Business Model 08:58 When a Passion Project Became a Legitimate Business 10:55 How the Dear Found Her Forum and Mentorship Drove Growth 17:12 Partnerships Community and the Turning Teen Seal of Approval 28:13 Advice for Women Building a Business and What Matters Most Connect with Dr. Lisa Klein: Follow Turning Teen on Instagram Follow Turning Teen on Facebook DearFoundHer… Links: Check out the Dear FoundHer... Female Founded Holiday Gift Guide Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday Special: Join the Dear FoundHer… Forum at 30% off our annual rate and lock in pricing forever. After December 19th, we will never offer this rate again. JOIN US HERE You don’t need permission or perfect credentials to build a trusted brand in women’s health. Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Kat Schneider, founder and CEO of Ritual, for a conversation about building a category-defining company without a science background or a perfectly mapped plan. Kat shares how Ritual began during her first pregnancy as a response to unanswered questions about trust and transparency, and how choosing a DTC model early allowed the brand to educate customers, show real proof, and earn credibility instead of asking for it. What changes when you build trust before scale? How do you move forward when you do not feel fully ready? Kat also reflects on how that DTC foundation shaped Ritual’s growth and made expansion into retail, including Target, feel intentional rather than reactive. She talks about leadership lessons learned along the way, from hiring mistakes to the pressure many women feel to be experts at everything, and why surrounding yourself with people who are stronger where you are not can change everything. Tune in to understand how intuition and decision-making become the real competitive advantage when you are building something meant to last. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why This Conversation Matters for Women Founders 02:20 How Ritual Started With One Pregnant Founder Asking Better Questions 05:52 Quitting a Job While Pregnant and Challenging a “Niche” Industry 07:39 Building Ritual Without a Science Background 12:58 Launching One Product and Earning Trust Through DTC 20:56 How DTC Education Enabled Expansion Into Target and Retail 32:30 Leadership Lessons and Early Hiring Mistakes 38:14 Three Core Lessons on Intuition, Rejection, and Decision-Making Connect with Kat Schneider: Follow Kat on Instagram Follow Ritual on Instagram DearFoundHer… Links: Check out the Dear FoundHer... Female Founded Holiday Gift Guide!  Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have just a couple more weeks to join THE networking community for women business owners over forty: The Dear FoundHer... Forum. Save 30% off your annual membership and lock in your rate before it goes in next year! A longtime HR leader sees how unprepared many young adults feel after college and turns that insight into a small business built to guide them through the realities of adulthood. Heather Redisch sits down with Lindsay Pinchuk to share how Adulting 101 Masterclass began, the early uncertainty that came with creating something in a wide-open space, and the small shifts that helped her clarify her offer. She talks about the moments that shaped her growth, the experiments that revealed what students and parents truly needed, and the point where things finally gained momentum once she focused on her core strengths. Heather also reflects on the role community played in her progress. The women in the Dear FoundHer Forum helped her push past discomfort, stay visible, and build confidence as she refined her idea. Their support reshaped how she approaches her work and the young adults she serves.  Her story leaves listeners with a simple question: what becomes possible for your small business when you stay curious, keep learning, and surround yourself with a community that moves with you? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone for Small Business Growth 02:20 From HR Expert to Founder of Adulting 101 Masterclass 03:32 The Workforce Gap and Why Graduates Aren’t Prepared 05:39 How Adulting 101 Shifted to a One-on-One Coaching Model 09:42 The Breakthrough Moment After Narrowing Her Offer 13:31 Community Support and Networking That Fueled Growth 18:53 What’s Next for Adulting 101 Masterclass 22:05 Heather’s Essential Advice for New Founders Links: Follow Heather Redisch on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files and check out our female founded holiday gift guide! Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday Special: Join THE networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... Forum. From now until the end of the year, save 30% on your annual membership and lock in the rate forever.  Jackie Kim shares how a personal obsession with sensitive skin turned into Maelove, a science led skincare brand whose viral vitamin C serum built loyalty before it made headlines. Joining Lindsay Pinchuk in this episode, Jackie traces the shift from New York attorney and startup investor to founder, driven by years of dry, reactive skin and frustration with clinical products that either caused irritation or came with a painful price tag.  What do you build when every “solution” stings your face or empties your wallet? Jackie answers that question with Maelove’s approach to extra strength yet gentle formulas, a fully bootstrapped business, deep investment in R&D and long form educational content that customers and dermatologists now treat as a trusted guide. Along the way, she shares advice on knowing your strengths, hiring for your gaps and staying clear on who your skincare brand really serves, and she shows how viral growth can follow when you let the product, the science and your customers do the talking. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Building A Business Is A Marathon And Why Founder Community Matters 02:23 Dear FoundHer Host Intro And Setting Up The Maelove Skincare Story 04:35 Meet Jackie Kim And The Origins Of Maelove Skincare 08:11 Solving Sensitive Skin Problems And Defining The Maelove Mission 10:24 Bootstrapping Maelove And Building A Customer Obsessed Science Led Skincare Team 14:25 Creating Glowmaker And How A Vitamin C Serum Became A Viral Skincare Hero 20:15 How Glowmaker Went Viral Through Editors Influencers And Dermatologists 24:27 Keeping Skincare Affordable With A Lean Direct To Consumer Business Model 26:05 Becoming A Customer Obsessed Brand Through Deep Skincare Education And Content 32:16 Staying Competitive Without Funding And Growing Maelove Through Word Of Mouth 36:08 Jackie Kim’s Three Actionable Steps For Female Founders In Skincare And Beyond Connect with Jackie Kim: Follow Maelove on Instagram Links: Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Check out the Dear FoundHer... Female Founded Gift Guide! Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Event on December 9th. Meet other women business owners, connect, and experience the support you’ve been missing. Sign up through the link in the show notes—it’s free to join us.  Pearl and Rose began as Lisa Schneider’s search for honest conversation about menopause, aging parents, and shifting identity, and has since grown into a small business rooted in real community for women in midlife. Inspired by young moms’ groups and encouraged by Lindsay Pinchuk and the Dear FoundHer Forum, Lisa took her idea from “I wish this existed” to a branded platform with in-person events, resources, and support for women in their forties, fifties, and sixties. In this episode, Lisa shares how she built Pearl and Rose by listening first, starting with a simple dinner party that doubled as a focus group and evolving into ongoing programs on wellness, menopause, fitness, and the sandwich generation. She talks about learning to collaborate, ask for help, and show up face to camera to tell her own breast cancer story, which sparked powerful engagement and gave women language to advocate for themselves.  Lisa shows how the Dear FoundHer community and her cohort have become a daily support system that fuels the growth of her small business and proves that when women build community with intention, everyone involved grows stronger. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Normalizing Midlife Conversations on Menopause Aging Parents and Identity 01:30 From Burned Out Designer to Pearl and Rose Midlife Community Founder 04:54 Validating the Idea with Instagram and a Midlife Focus Group Dinner 08:29 Listening to the Community Wellness Menopause and the Sandwich Generation 12:08 Growing Pearl and Rose Through Collaboration Events and Membership 18:22 Vulnerability Breast Cancer and Showing Up on Social Media 21:31 How Dear FoundHer Community Fuels Lisa’s Journey and Her Advice to New Founders Connect with Lisa Schneider: Follow Pearl and Rose on Instagram Links: Subscribe to The FoundHer Files and check out our female founded holiday gift guide!  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday Special: Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Event on December 9th. Meet other women business owners, connect, and experience the support you’ve been missing. Sign up through the link in the show notes—it’s free to join us.  Two fashion insiders walk through how a single white tee became the core of a cult basics brand that now lives in both retail and direct to consumer channels. Lindsay Pinchuk talks with perfectwhitetee co-founders Jen Menchaca and Lisa Hickey about the years they spent in showrooms and retail stores, the gap they saw for reliable year round basics and the way a partnership with a fabric expert let them obsess over fit, fabric and how their pieces actually feel on real women. They describe fit tests on bodies of different ages and sizes and they show how feedback from boutiques and customers turns each tee and sweatshirt into a staple women reorder in multiple colors. When COVID hit, their independent retail partners served as a lifeline as supply chains stalled and boutiques turned to perfectwhitetee for product they could still put in customers’ hands. From there the direct to consumer side grew as shoppers sent DMs that asked for more colors and styles, which pushed Jen and Lisa to build a Shopify site and to treat lifestyle driven ads and email as key tools for connection and loyalty. Again and again they come back to a simple idea. Strong basics and strong businesses start with a clear customer, a clear edge and a community that trusts you in both retail and direct to consumer spaces. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 How Listening To Customers Built A Cult Basics Brand 03:12 Meet perfectwhitetee Founders Jen Menchaca And Lisa Hickey 04:22 From Showroom And Retail Stores To The Perfect White Tee Idea 06:50 Spotting A Gap In Basics And Building A Fabric First Fashion Brand 08:24 What Makes A Perfect White Tee Fit Fabric Community And Confidence 12:44 Launching Right Before COVID And Leaning On Retail Relationships 18:25 Relationships Community And A “No Asshole” Policy For Business Growth 24:23 From Wholesale To Direct To Consumer How Ads And UGC Fueled Demand 33:43 Black Friday Inventory Fail Owning Mistakes And Fixing Operations 41:37 What Is Next For perfectwhitetee Wovens Mens And Deeper Community 43:07 Three Actionable Steps For Women Starting A Product Business Connect with Jen Menchaca and Lisa Hickey: Follow perfectwhitetee on Instagram Links: Subscribe to The FoundHer Files and check out our female founded holiday gift guide!  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.