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.

Mara Smith is the Founder of Inspiro Tequila, a women-owned- and led clean, additive-free tequila brand. A former attorney and corporate strategist, she began her legal career at a large law firm in Chicago before joining the corporate strategy team at McDonald's. Mara launched Inspiro Tequila to bring more female perspectives into the spirits industry.

Women entrepreneurs face unique challenges in breaking into male-dominated industries, but by amplifying their voices and championing each other, they can redefine entire markets. How can you foster systemic change to elevate opportunities for women?

Mara Smith, a former corporate attorney and strategist, founded Inspiro Tequila to disrupt the spirits industry by bringing more female voices to the forefront. Recognizing that women were a major segment of tequila consumers yet largely ignored by existing brands, she created a premium, additive-free tequila that speaks directly to them. Through initiatives like the Purple Bicycle Project and the Inspiro Connectors Collective, Mara uplifts female entrepreneurs, providing mentorship, funding, and community-building opportunities to support their journeys.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Mara Smith, the Founder of Inspiro Tequila, joins Andrea Heuston to discuss how she elevates women's voices in the spirits industry. She shares her experience re-entering the workforce after 16 years, the challenges of launching a brand in a male-dominated space, and how to become a B Corp.

Kathy Andrews is the Founder and Managing Director of Cinga Leadership & Learning Inc., a boutique leadership consultancy. With over 20 years of experience as a people and culture strategist, executive coach, and master facilitator across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she specializes in aligning business strategy and culture through high-impact leadership programs. Before Cinga Leadership, Kathy held various senior HR and leadership development positions at several global organizations. She also hosts For Leaders By Leaders, a podcast featuring global thought leaders and executives.

Creating an inclusive workplace requires more than just hiring diverse talent; it demands a culture where every employee feels heard, valued, and empowered. When leaders foster psychological safety and open communication, they create an environment where diverse perspectives lead to stronger decision-making and innovation. How can organizations shape their cultures to eliminate bias and create lasting inclusion?

Leadership expert Kathy Andrews encourages leaders to make calculated hiring and promotion decisions. Unconscious biases often occur in rushed choices, so leaders must challenge their initial assumptions and seek diverse input. Additionally, storytelling is an influential leadership tool, as authentic narratives can allow leaders to communicate their values, build trust, and inspire action. By weaving personal and organizational stories into their leadership approach, executives can foster deeper connections with their teams and reinforce inclusive practices.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston welcomes Kathy Andrews, the Founder and Managing Director of Cinga Leadership & Learning Inc., to talk about fostering inclusive leadership. Kathy shares how to build psychological safety within teams, her sustainable organizational talent strategy, and how to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy conflict in leadership.

Emilia D'Anzica is the Founder and Managing Partner of Growth Molecules™, a management consulting firm that helps companies protect and grow their revenue. With two decades of experience as a chief customer officer in Silicon Valley, she has been named the Top Customer Growth Advisor of 2024 by IAOTP. Emilia is also the co-author of Pressing ON as a Tech Mom.

Sabina Pons is the Managing Director of Growth Molecules™ and the Co-founder of SoCalCX, a community fostering collaboration among go-to-market leaders to deliver exceptional customer experiences. As a fractional chief customer officer and tech industry thought leader, she has scaled companies from $14 million to over $100 million. Sabina is also the co-author of Pressing ON as a Tech Mom.

Women leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs often face loneliness as they navigate rejection, especially from men in similar roles. This may cause them to parallel men's leadership styles to conform to established norms and stereotypes. How can women identify and hone their personal leadership styles?

Women undertake many roles, some including mother, mentor, and leader. Rather than trying to emulate men while juggling personal and professional pursuits, Emilia D'Anzica and Sabina Pons maintain that women should tap into their unique and dynamic skills. These include high levels of emotional intelligence and empathy and supportive natures. Women should also support each other in their roles and share their individual experiences to dismantle stereotypes, bias, and sexism in corporate work environments.

In this week's episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston welcomes Emilia D'Anzica and Sabina Pons of Growth Molecules™, to discuss how they broke the glass ceiling in corporate tech. Together, Emilia and Sabina share the women's stories featured in their book, the loneliness epidemic among women leaders, and how to address workplace sexism.

Maria Marino, Alex Berstein, and Katherine Anne Koury are the Co-founders of Panic Panties, a premium, ready-to-wear underwear brand sold in airports, boutiques, hospitals, Walgreens, and over 5,000 CVS stores nationwide. With over 16 million brand hashtag views on TikTok, Panic Panties has won the Women Business Enterprise National Council's (WBENC) national pitch competition for innovation and has been named Hot Undergarments by Star magazine. Maria, Alex, and Katherine Anne founded the company at Syracuse University after noticing a lack of attractive, on-the-go underwear options.

Purchasing underwear in a pinch is a common yet overlooked problem for women on the go. Whether after a workout, during travel, or in unexpected situations, traditional retail options fall short, offering unappealing, bulk-packaged choices. How did three best friends turn a shared frustration into an essential brand?

Dissatisfied by the lack of on-the-go underwear options on the market, Maria Marino, Alex Bernstein, and Katherine Anne Koury teamed up to create a premium, ready-to-wear underwear line designed for convenience and style. Their innovative approach and strategic retail partnerships with Walgreens and CVS have fueled Panic Panties' rapid growth. The trio promotes their products by producing viral social media content, facilitating community events, and hosting a life-sized panty costume that appeared in high-traffic areas like Times Square and the Vegas Strip. Through social media engagement and a commitment to sustainability, Maria, Alex, and Katherine Anne have penetrated a niche market with an innovative solution.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston chats with Maria Marino, Alex Bernstein, and Katherine Anne Koury, Co-founders of Panic Panties, about how they scaled their brand. Together, they discuss the brand's manufacturing and development process, their future endeavors for Panic Panties, and how they broke into major retail chains.

Irma Parone is the President and CEO of the Parone Group, which helps employers improve organizational effectiveness through customer and employee retention. As a consultant, best-selling author, and speaker, she earned a certification in organizational development from the Institute of Organizational Development. Before founding the Parone Group, Irma was the Senior Regional Vice President of Weiser Security Services, Inc., where she reduced employee turnover in her region by 27%.

Addressing organizational challenges involves balancing customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and profitability. How can leaders adopt a holistic approach to problem-solving that benefits all stakeholders?

According to leadership consultant Irma Parone, effective problem-solving begins with accurately identifying the issue and evaluating its root causes. Her eight-step model emphasizes assessing the impact on customers, employees, and the company while exploring alternatives and preparing for potential outcomes. By incorporating emotional awareness and considering all stakeholder perspectives, leaders can ensure comprehensive and sustainable decisions.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston interviews Irma Parone, the CEO and President of Parone Group, about organizational problem-solving and decision-making. Irma discusses how to foster collaboration across teams, create a culture of continuous improvement, and guide balanced decision-making.