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Dear FoundHer…Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners — Business
Dear FoundHer…Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

Dear FoundHer… is a How I Built This–style podcast sharing real stories from female entrepreneurs, female founders, and women in business, especially women 40+, who are building companies on their own terms.

Hosted by award-winning entrepreneur Lindsay Pinchuk, each episode features honest, thoughtful conversations with women CEOs and founders navigating leadership, decision making, career pivots, and business growth. These are the stories behind the success, the lessons, the marketing strategies that actually work, and the leadership moments that shape women building and leading businesses.

From Bobbi Brown to Rebecca Minkoff, Peloton’s Jenn Sherman & Dr. Becky Kennedy to Gail Simmons, Dear FoundHer… brings you conversations with some of the most influential female founders and leaders of our time.

Dear FoundHer… explores what it looks like to grow a business with clarity and confidence, from starting a company for the first time or after leaving corporate, to scaling responsibly, managing teams, building visibility, getting press, and creating sustainable growth. Topics include leadership development, confidence at work, business strategy, marketing strategies and tactics, company messaging, community building, and showing up confidently.

There’s no fluff. No gatekeeping. Just real insight, shared perspective, and practical wisdom, because building businesses is better when women learn from each other.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Lindsay Pinchuk

Latest Episodes:

The #1 Reason Your Offer Isn’t Selling (And What to Do Instead), with Lindsay Pinchuk, Host of Dear FoundHer... Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Do you want more simple, no-fluff marketing strategies? Lindsay Pinchuk created a new FREE download: CLICK HERE to grab

The FoundHer’s Blueprint for Building a Business Without Burnout.

In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk discusses the common challenges faced when launching offers, particularly the importance of building anticipation and community before a launch. She emphasizes the need for effective storytelling, engaging with one's inner circle, and utilizing various marketing strategies to ensure success. The episode provides actionable advice for entrepreneurs looking to improve their launch strategies and build trust with their audience.

Takeaways

Launching an offer without community leads to failure.
Building anticipation is crucial for a successful launch.
You must advocate for your own offer.
Storytelling connects you with your audience.
Engage your inner circle for support.
Email marketing is vital for business success.
Regular communication builds trust with your audience.
Your community should be nurtured before launching.
People buy from those they trust.
Success comes from consistent engagement and value.

Join the Dear FoundHer Forum to build and grow your business alongside other women entrepreneurs 40+, just like you: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay and Dear FoundHer... on Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How She Built a $1 Billion Business that Revolutionized Luxury Consignment, with Julie Wainwright, Founder of The RealReal Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

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.

Julie Wainwright knows what it’s like to be underestimated, and to prove people wrong. She built The RealReal into a billion-dollar luxury consignment business, then watched from the sidelines as a board she no longer trusted forced her out. But that’s only part of the story.

In this episode, Julie sits down with Lindsay to talk about what it really means to lead. From the ashes of Pets.com to the early days of The RealReal, Julie explains how she saw an opening in the e-commerce space and moved fast, testing, iterating, and winning customers city by city. She didn’t wait for investor buy-in. She mailed postcards. She knocked on doors. She made it work.

What convinced early customers to trust her with their Chanel and Prada? What does it take to scale a business from $10 million to $500 million when most investors don’t even understand your category? And what do you do when the company you built is no longer yours?

Julie shares how strategic partnerships, like an early collaboration with Neiman Marcus, helped put The RealReal on the map. She reflects on the power of in-person experiences, like pop-up stores, and why human connection can drive business in a way digital never fully replaces.

Now leading her second venture, Ahara, Julie is focused on precision nutrition and on helping other entrepreneurs find their footing. Her new book, Time to Get Real, is both a memoir and a playbook for anyone building something that feels personal.

If you’ve ever doubted yourself, or felt like others have doubted you more, Julie’s story will remind you what’s possible when you trust your vision and keep going.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Julie Wainwright and The RealReal

05:04 From Pets.com to The RealReal: Julie’s Founder Story

11:29 Building Trust in Luxury Consignment

17:43 Raising Capital and Finding the Right Investors

22:37 Scaling E-Commerce Through Strategic Partnerships

28:14 How Resale Impacts Luxury Markets

29:17 Leadership Changes and Boardroom Challenges

32:58 Lessons from Entrepreneurship and Gender Dynamics

36:48 Starting Over: New Ventures and Growth

39:24 Why Nutrition Became Julie’s Next Mission

43:34 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Connect with Julie Wainwright:

http://www.instagram.com/realrealjulie

Grab a copy of Julie's new book:

bit.ly/JulieGetsReal

Get on the Marketing Made Simple Waitlist: https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/waitlist

Dear FoundHer Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundher

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Living Fearlessly Can Lead to Success with Rebecca Minkoff Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

If you're a women 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.

No amount of business success is worth sacrificing your integrity, and Rebecca Minkoff has the receipts to prove it.

Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with the iconic fashion designer to talk about what it takes to build a brand with staying power. From sewing her own bat mitzvah dress to creating a handbag that became a cultural moment, Rebecca traces the early hustle and the breakthrough wins that helped her build a fashion empire. She shares the story behind the unexpected challenges that came with scaling, and why she eventually sold her company, along with the rights to her own name.

They talk about the rise and fall of influencer marketing, how COVID nearly crushed her business, and why The Real Housewives of New York City ended up testing her values more than she ever expected.

This episode is a reminder that building a business isn’t about one big break, but about what you do next.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Rebecca Minkoff Inspires The Dear FoundHer... Community

03:11 Rebecca Minkoff’s Story: From Apparel to Iconic Bags

16:09 Rejection, Networking, and Asking for Help

22:26 Inside the Rebecca Minkoff Brand Today

26:38 Selling Her Company: What Rebecca Learned

36:39 How Rebecca Balances Business, Family, and Creative Work

39:00 Rebecca’s Real Housewives Experience and Its Aftermath

Follow Rebecca:

http://www.instagram.com/rebeccaminkoff

http://www.instagram.com/beckyminkoff

Grab a copy of Rebecca's book.

Check out Rebecca's Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/superwomen-with-rebecca-minkoff/id1426026971

Dear FoundHer Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundher

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Things You’re Definitely Not Doing That Can Change Your Business, with Host, Lindsay Pinchuk May 19, 2025

Show notes

If you're a women 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. Use the code GIFT at checkout for $200 off your Annual Membership.

In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk shares ten simple yet effective strategies for business owners feeling stuck or overwhelmed.

Lindsay shares 10 simple things—no fluff, no gimmicks—that you can do right now to create momentum in your business. These aren’t revolutionary tactics—they’re simple, overlooked steps that lead to real movement. Here’s what I want you to try this week...

She emphasizes the importance of storytelling, consistency in sharing offers, and the power of asking for help. Lindsay also discusses reconnecting with past clients, simplifying offers, optimizing online presence, following up on opportunities, repurposing content, providing value without selling, and the significance of testimonials. These tactics are designed to create momentum and drive results in business without requiring extensive resources.

Join the Dear FoundHer Forum, use the code GIFT to save nearly 45% on an Annual Membership during the month of May: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay and Dear FoundHer... on Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Juliet Wine Nailed Company Messaging Before Spending a Dollar on Marketing May 13, 2025

Show notes

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. Use the code FOUNDHER at checkout and join us inside for just over $1 a day.

Knowing your customer is not a nice-to-have. It is the whole strategy. In this episode of Dear FoundHer, Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Lauren De Niro Pipher, co-founder of Juliet, to talk about how she and her co-founder built their company messaging around a real, specific woman they understood deeply, and how that clarity drove every marketing decision they made without a traditional budget to back it up. If you are trying to figure out how to cut through the noise without spending a fortune, this one is for you.

Juliet was born from a simple question: why doesn't high-quality boxed wine exist? Boxed wine had a reputation problem until Lauren and her co-founder Alison turned it into a sustainable, design-forward product that now moves across both direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. Getting there required simple marketing strategies rooted in real customer insight. She and Alison surveyed 250 people in their own networks while the product was still being developed, then zoomed with their top ten customers after year one to understand exactly what was driving repeat purchases. That obsession with knowing the customer informed everything, from the cylindrical packaging design to the brand ambassador program they built around everyday women with small followings who genuinely loved the wine. Lauren also talks about firing their first creative agency, trusting her gut, and finding two independent designers who finally brought the vision to life.

This episode is for woman startup founders who want to stop guessing what their customer wants and start building the kind of feedback loop that sharpens their company messaging and drives real growth. Lauren's approach is not complicated. It is disciplined, and that discipline is what took Juliet from a survey in a group chat to over 500 retail doors in two and a half years.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Community Matters for Women Startup Founders Developing Company Messaging

06:00 Lauren’s Career Journey Before Juliet Wine

07:06 The Spark Behind a Sustainable Wine Brand

08:47 From Idea to Product: Early Decisions and Setbacks

13:04 Redesigning Boxed Wine with Packaging Innovation

15:02 Bootstrapping and Raising Over $6 Million

20:10 Managing Teams: Hiring Independent Talent Over Big Agencies

25:32 Customer Feedback as a Growth Engine

31:02 Go-to-Market Strategy: Direct to Consumer and Wholesale

38:48 Influencer Marketing Without Paying for Posts

43:46 What’s Next for Juliet Wine

Connect with Lauren De Niro Pipher:

http://www.instagram.com/iamldp

http://www.drinkjuliet.com/

Get on the Marketing Made Simple Waitlist: https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/waitlist

Dear FoundHer Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundher

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building Your Community as a Woman Entrepreneur, with Dear FoundHer... Host, Lindsay Pinchuk May 06, 2025

Show notes

If you're a women 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. Use the code FOUNDHER at checkout and join us inside for just over $1 a day.

In this episode, Dear FoundHer... Host, Lindsay Pinchuk discusses the importance of networking and building a supportive community, especially for women entrepreneurs over 40. She shares her personal journey of starting a business without a network and how she gradually built connections with other female founders. Lindsay provides practical strategies for effective networking, emphasizes the value of mutual support, and offers actionable takeaways to help listeners strengthen their networks and overcome common challenges in networking.

Takeaways

You have to put things out into the universe to make things happen.
Women over 40 are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.
Building a network is essential for personal and professional growth.
Networking can lead to mutually beneficial relationships.
Focus on nurturing a smaller group of trusted allies.
Networking is about connecting, not proving your worth.
Overcoming imposter syndrome is crucial for effective networking.
Authentic relationships are more valuable than transactional ones.
Seek out spaces where women can share their journeys without judgment.
Take small, intentional steps to network regularly.

Join the Dear FoundHer Forum, use the code GIFT to save nearly 45% on an Annual Membership during the month of May: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay and Dear FoundHer... on Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creating Community Around the Hot Topic: Menopause, with Alessandra Henderson Co-Founder of Elektra Health Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

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. Use the code FOUNDHER at checkout and join us inside for just over $1 a day.

Menopause may be having its moment now, but Alessandra Henderson saw the need and the silence years before anyone else started paying attention. In this episode, she joins Lindsay to talk about building Elektra Health, a virtual care platform focused on closing the menopause care gap with real medical support, trusted information, and community connection. Alessandra shares how her own experience navigating IVF, hormonal shifts, and a frustrating lack of answers led her to create something she wished had existed for her.

What does it look like to start a company around a topic no one wants to talk about? How can you build trust when the audience you’re serving has been ignored for decades? Alessandra breaks down how Elektra started, one email list, one living room event, one conversation at a time, and how that early emphasis on community continues to shape the company’s evolution.

Alessandra also reflects on the decision to step down as CEO, why she knew it was time, and how redefining her role has given her space to focus on what matters most. For anyone navigating perimenopause, building a mission-driven business, or simply looking for a more honest conversation around women’s health, this one will hit home.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Community Matters for Founders

04:17 Meet Alessandra Henderson

07:00 The Origins of Elektra Health

09:12 Talking About Menopause Before It Was Cool

14:17 How Elektra Built Its First Community

19:24 COVID’s Unexpected Impact on Growth

24:57 Monetizing a Community-Driven Health Platform

27:11 Business Pivots and What They Taught Her

32:54 Stepping Down as CEO

37:17 What’s Next for Alessandra

39:15 Advice for Female Founders

Connect with Alessandra Henderson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandrahenderson/

https://www.elektrahealth.com/

Tickets for Dear FoundHer... on Tour: https://sopacnow.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FPa000002eDS1MAM

Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker, Author and Attorney Using Her Skills to End Jew Hatred, with Brooke Goldstein, Founder of the Lawfare Project and End Jew Hatred Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

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. Use the code FOUNDHER at checkout and join us inside for just over $1 a day.

Fighting Jew hatred starts with refusing to apologize for standing up for yourself.

When do you stop waiting for someone else to fix it and start doing something yourself? That’s the question at the heart of this conversation between Lindsay Pinchuk and Brooke Goldstein, a human rights attorney, award-winning filmmaker, and founder of the Lawfare Project and End Jew Hatred.

Brooke shares how one moment during law school altered the entire course of her life, pulling her from a path toward entertainment law into war zones, courtrooms, and a global movement to defend the rights of the Jewish people. She explains how she came to understand that the real battleground wasn’t just in politics or public opinion. It was in the legal system, the education system, and the stories we’re told about who deserves protection.

Together, Lindsay and Brooke dig into why the Jewish community has never had a unified civil rights movement in America and why that needs to change now. They talk about the importance of clear messaging, consequences for discrimination, and showing up with courage, even when it’s uncomfortable.

This episode is a call to action… for truth, for unity, and for real, lasting impact.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:11 Meet Brooke Goldstein

05:06 The Story That Changed Everything

07:04 Making The Making of a Martyr

09:01 Hate Education and Its Consequences

13:37 Founding the Lawfare Project

18:03 October 7th and the Rise of End Jew Hatred

20:05 Why We Need a Jewish Civil Rights Movement

22:03 What Successful Movements Have in Common

30:42 Tactics for Fighting Jew Hatred

34:08 Grassroots Action and Consequences

37:18 Messaging That Unifies

43:56 Advice for Founders Taking Hard Paths

Connect with Brooke Goldstein:

https://www.instagram.com/realbrookegoldstein/

https://www.thelawfareproject.org/

https://www.endjewhatred.com/

Tickets for Dear FoundHer... on Tour: https://sopacnow.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FPa000002eDS1MAM

Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don’t forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The One Small, Simple Change That Made the Biggest Impact on My Business, with Lindsay Pinchuk, Host of Dear FoundHer... Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

If you're a women 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. Use the code FOUNDHER at checkout and join us inside for just over $1 a day.

In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk discusses the significant impact that one small, simple change had on her business. And you probably will never be able to guess what that was. HINT: It's an actionable step ANYONE can take. Once she spills her secret, Lindsay emphasizes the importance of specificity in marketing and provides actionable steps for listeners to identify and connect with their ideal customers. This is one episode every business owner is going to want to listen to.

Takeaways

Lindsay returned from a hiatus to share impactful business insights.
The shift in target audience to women over 40 transformed her business.
Building a community is essential for business growth.
Women over 40 are resourceful and experienced entrepreneurs.
Specific targeting helps in creating relevant messaging.
Understanding the ideal customer is crucial for business success.
Consistency in messaging is key to maintaining audience connection.

Join the Dear FoundHer Forum, use the code FOUNDHER to bring your investment down to just over $1 per day: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Get on the waitlist for our group mentorship, Marketing Made Simple for Small Business:

https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/waitlist

Don't forget to follow Lindsay and Dear FoundHer... on Instagram.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Franchising a Mission to Bring Health and Wellness to Every Community, with Tara Gilad, Co-Founder of Vitality Bowls Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

No one tells you that scaling a business while raising kids means choosing which fire to put out daily.

From hand-blending baby food to building a thriving national franchise, Tara Gilad shares how motherhood sparked the idea for Vitality Bowls and how grit, intuition, and smart decisions powered its growth. She walks through the early days of self-funding and flying blind without a marketing team or social media, what franchising really requires, and how she’s learned to lead without sacrificing her health. Tara also opens up about the hard lessons around hiring, the power of asking for help, and why a supportive network isn’t optional, but a requirement.

Whether you’re growing your first business or juggling multiple roles, this episode is packed with insights on scaling with purpose, staying grounded, and building a business that still lights you up over a decade in.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:00 Meet Tara Gilad, founder of Vitality Bowls

04:00 From homemade baby food to a national franchise

06:00 Building Vitality Bowls

09:00 Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship

11:00 Rapid growth, franchising, and team-building

14:00 What makes Vitality Bowls different

17:00 Franchise marketing strategies then vs. now

21:00 How to franchise: legal, logistics + lessons learned

26:00 Why asking for help matters

28:00 Personal growth, boundaries, and burnout prevention

33:00 Launching Harvest Kitchen: their new virtual brand

38:00 Advice for aspiring founders + what’s next for Tara

Connect with Tara Gilad:

http://www.instagram.com/vitalitybowls

http://www.instagram.com/taragilad

MMS sign up: https://www.lindsaypinchuk.com/mmsspring2025

Dear FoundHer... on Tour: https://www.dearfoundher.com/tour

Dear FoundHer Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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