Emily Blumenthal, known as the "Handbag Fairy Godmother," is the author of Handbag Designer 101, a comprehensive guide for aspiring designers. She also founded the Independent Handbag Designer Awards to spotlight emerging talent and hosts the Handbag Designer 101 podcast, which showcases the stories behind iconic handbag brands. Emily is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Many women entrepreneurs struggle with scaling their businesses, often finding themselves stuck between growth and control. They are conditioned to take on too much, fearing delegation might dilute their brand or message. How can female founders shift from managing every detail to building sustainable, scalable businesses?

Handbag industry expert and entrepreneur Emily Blumenthal has developed the CASM framework — customer, agony, solution, and monetization — to validate business ideas before investing resources. This methodology, combined with persistence, allowed Emily to land her products on Sex and the City and QVC. She encourages female entrepreneurs to embrace delegation, reframe failure as a stepping stone to success, and develop clear strategies for long-term growth.

In today's episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Emily Blumenthal, the author of Handbag Designer 101, about her entrepreneurial insights. She talks about empowering young girls through early entrepreneurship, the skill sets she leveraged to launch her business, and the origins of the Independent Handbag Designer Awards.

Dena Enos is the Founder and CEO of StrongHouse, a strategic marketing consulting firm that transforms organizational growth and talent development. With over 15 years of senior leadership experience, she has led global teams in customer acquisition, brand marketing, and analytics, having served as Vice President of Traffic Acquisition and Revenue Management at TripAdvisor and CMO at Hopper. Dena was also part of the original startup teams for OneTime and VirtualTourist, both acquired by Expedia in 2008.

Many professionals struggle to balance their career ambitions with a deeper sense of purpose, often feeling disconnected from the impact they want to make. How can women entrepreneurs create a business model that aligns with their personal values?

Marketing expert Dena Enos built a mission-driven business that bridges her professional expertise with her passion for social impact. She advises leveraging your existing skills to make a broader impact and maintaining authenticity and empathy in your marketing efforts. Through optimized marketing, businesses can focus on specific channels and create authentic and empathetic messaging to build trust and foster genuine connections.

Tune in to this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston chats with Dena Enos, the Founder and CEO of StrongHouse, about aligning personal and professional endeavors. Dena discusses the importance of values-based leadership, strategies for optimizing marketing efforts, and how resilience shaped her entrepreneurial journey.

Sena Wheeler is the Co-founder of Sena Sea, which brings wild Alaskan fish to consumers' doors. Specializing in quantifying omega-3s in fish and determining preferred handling practices for premium quality, she is passionate about sustainability and educating people about the brain-boosting benefits of wild fish. Sena has preserved a five-generation-long family fishing legacy.

Entrepreneurs often face the challenge of standing out in a competitive market, building customer trust, and maintaining a work-life balance. For those in traditional industries, adapting to modern business models while preserving authenticity can be a struggle. How can you leverage sustainability and best practices to compete in your industry?

Food science and nutrition expert Sena Wheeler tackles these challenges by drawing from her fishing heritage to build a thriving DTC seafood company. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistency during growth by building an email list to communicate regularly with customers. Sena also highlights the importance of sustainability in business practices and operations to ensure long-term growth. By leveraging her industry knowledge, focusing on transparency, and using efficient content strategies, she has built a niche business while maintaining flexibility for her family.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Sena Wheeler, the Co-founder of Sena Sea, joins Andrea Heuston to discuss how she turned a family fishing legacy into a modern, sustainable business. Sena shares how storytelling strengthens customer relationships, the impact of subscription services on retention, and the lessons she learned from growing up in a multi-generational fishing family.