In this episode, Julie Cole—co-founder of Mabel's Labels—shares the real, behind-the-scenes journey of building a product-based business from a basement startup to a category leader. What began as a simple solution to a frustrating everyday problem turned into a thriving company powered by innovation, word-of-mouth marketing, and a deep understanding of moms as consumers. Julie opens up about the early days of testing products, navigating e-commerce before it was mainstream, and building a business alongside three co-founders—all while raising a growing family. She highlights the power of community, both as a customer base and as a support system, and how partnerships can provide not just shared risk, but shared resilience.

Julie also dives into the evolution of leadership, personal branding, and what it really takes to grow a sustainable business. From learning when to delegate and hire the right people, to stepping out of day-to-day operations, she offers honest insights into scaling without losing your vision. She reflects on her transition into becoming the face of the brand, an author, and a speaker, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and connection in today's digital world. The conversation wraps with a powerful perspective on empowerment—tuning out societal noise, trusting your own path, and quieting the "brain gremlins" that try to hold you back.

Connect with Julie:
Website: www.mabelslabels.com
LinkedIn: Julie Cole, LLB, MA
Instagram: @mabelslabels | @juliecoleinc

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/Speaking

In this episode, communications expert Amy Reczek shares her journey from a background in psychology and the arts to becoming a successful entrepreneur and author. She discusses the evolution of her career over seventeen years in sales, which eventually led her to "walk away" from corporate life to create a more fulfilling path centered on the human element of connection. Amy introduces her "BREW" methodology—Be the moment, Raise confidence, Engage, and What about the crap—a framework designed to help professionals uplevel their communication by focusing on micro-moments and authentic presence in every business interaction.

The conversation also dives into the modern landscape of business tools, specifically the role of AI in professional communication. Amy emphasizes that while AI is a phenomenal tool for structure and efficiency, it should never replace a person's unique voice; she advocates for a balanced approach where technology supports, rather than dictates, human connection. Listeners will walk away with actionable insights from Amy's new book, Connect to Close, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be an empowered, centered professional in today's fast-paced world.

Connect with Amy:
Website: www.salesandpresence.com
LinkedIn: Amy Reczek

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/Speaking

In this episode, we have a conversation with Nancy Li Smith, founder of Boop and a seasoned AI product leader with experience at Meta and Microsoft, to explore how her global upbringing and deep tech background led her to reimagine the way we plan travel. Nancy shares the inspiration behind Boop, sparked during her honeymoon in Venice, where she realized how fragmented and time-consuming travel planning can be. By combining AI with personal travel data, Boop transforms everyday memories—like photos and notes—into instantly shareable, bookable itineraries, making it easier for friends to discover, customize, and actually commit to trips together.

Nancy also dives into the bigger vision behind Boop: empowering women to monetize their travel experiences and shift a portion of the massive travel economy back into their hands. She opens up about the leap from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, the importance of mentorship and community, and how building from a female lens is shaping both the product and its impact. This conversation is a powerful blend of innovation, storytelling, and purpose—highlighting how lived experiences can become valuable assets in creating meaningful, scalable change.

Connect with Nancy:
Website: www.boopwithme.com
Instagram: @nancylistyle | @boopwithme

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/Speaking

In this episode, Stephanie Cartin, co-founder of Entreprenista, shares the story behind building a thriving media company and membership community designed to support women founders and leaders. After successfully building and selling their social media agency, Socialfly, Stephanie and her co-founder created Entreprenista to help women access the tools, mentorship, and relationships needed to grow and scale their businesses. What started as a podcast to share entrepreneurial stories quickly evolved into the Entreprenista League, a dynamic membership community where women can connect, collaborate, and learn from each other.

Stephanie also opens up about the realities of entrepreneurship, from navigating new business models to investing in coaches and experts to fill knowledge gaps. She shares personal insights about building a company while raising a young daughter and managing a challenging pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of support systems and work-life integration. From launching a community during the pandemic to hosting large-scale gatherings like Entreprenista Founders Weekend, Stephanie highlights how connection, collaboration, and empowering women entrepreneurs remain at the core of the Entreprenista mission.

Connect with Stephanie:
Website: www.entreprenista.com
LinkedIn: Stephanie (Abrams) Cartin
Instagram: @entreprenistas | @stephjillcartin

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/Speaking

If you're a cultural catalyst, what got you here won't get you there.

Cultural change happens through peers at your level — not through previous cycles of friends, mentees, or employees.

Join our free masterclass:
The Science-Backed Secrets to Activate Your Legacy as a Cultural Catalyst Without Burnout

Register at activateherlegacy.com.

This episode dives into Leslie Youngblood's journey as the founder of Youngblood MMC, co-founder of TableTag, and host of the Serious Lady Business podcast. She shares her path from early experiences in marketing and advertising to stepping out of the corporate world to create a business that aligns with her passions and family life. Leslie explains how The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron helped her embrace her creativity and "own her magic," fueling both her agency work and her mission to empower female entrepreneurs.

Leslie also breaks down how Youngblood MMC supports small-to-medium B2B businesses with marketing clarity, systems, and consistent content creation to drive revenue growth. She discusses her new platform, TableTag, which centralizes communication between marketers and restaurants, and how it's poised to transform the hospitality tech space. Packed with actionable insights, inspiring advice, and empowering words for women in business, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to harness their creativity, structure their business, and step fully into their own magic.

Connect with Leslie:
Website: www.youngbloodmmc.com | www.seriousladybusiness.com | www.tabletag.io
LinkedIn: Leslie (Bailey) Youngblood
Instagram: @seriousladybusiness | @leslie2400

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/keynoteconcerts

If you're a cultural catalyst, what got you here won't get you there.

Cultural change happens through peers at your level — not through previous cycles of friends, mentees, or employees.

Join our free masterclass:
The Science-Backed Secrets to Activate Your Legacy as a Cultural Catalyst Without Burnout

Register at activateherlegacy.com

In this episode, LaKiesha Tomlin, a former aerospace defense engineering leader, shares how she transformed her personal journey into investing into a mission to help others understand and participate in the stock market. Her interest was sparked during the 2008 financial crisis, and over several years she educated herself, overcame fear, and began investing with small, intentional steps. What started as a desire to better manage her own finances grew into a framework she now teaches—one rooted in consistency, practical learning, and building confidence through understanding rather than chasing quick results.

The conversation explores the emotional and psychological barriers many professionals—especially women—face when approaching investing, from fear of losing money to believing they must "know everything" before starting. LaKiesha explains how simplifying complex concepts, committing just 30–60 minutes a day to learning, and focusing on clarity over fast profits can create lasting financial empowerment. She also emphasizes her philosophy of helping people become independent decision-makers, not lifelong followers, and reframing market shifts as opportunities to think strategically and build long-term confidence.

Connect with LaKiesha:
Website: www.lakieshatrades.com
LinkedIn: LaKiesha Tomlin, MBA
Instagram: @chartconfidence
YouTube: LaKiesha Tomlin

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/keynoteconcerts

If you're a cultural catalyst, what got you here won't get you there.

Cultural change happens through peers at your level — not through previous cycles of friends, mentees, or employees.

Join our free masterclass:
The Science-Backed Secrets to Activate Your Legacy as a Cultural Catalyst Without Burnout

Register at activateherlegacy.com.

In this episode, Makayla Greathouse, founder of Elevate Intent, shares how her fractional head of people and HR advisory practice helps growing companies design intentional, high-performing people systems. Blending 15 years of HR experience with a decade of teaching yoga, she brings a unique perspective that merges operational excellence with mindfulness. She explains why trust is the foundation of healthy culture and scalable growth, and how companies must move beyond ad hoc processes to create clarity in onboarding, role expectations, and performance. Through her leadership "triangle" of autonomy, alignment, and accountability, Makayla outlines how intentional systems empower teams, strengthen culture, and drive meaningful business results.

The conversation also explores authentic leadership, particularly for women navigating the workplace. Makayla highlights how traits like dependability and composure—often praised in women—can unintentionally create ceilings if they lead to silence or over-functioning instead of system redesign and healthy conflict. She shares practical tools like DISC and situational leadership to help leaders communicate more effectively while staying true to who they are. The episode closes with a powerful reminder of "The Human Advantage"—that while AI may accelerate output, it cannot replace trust, judgment, and human connection. For Makayla, an empowered woman is one who has the courage to show up fully and lead authentically in every space she occupies.

Connect with Makayla:
Website: www.elevateintent.co
LinkedIn: Makayla Greathouse, MA, SHRM-CP

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/keynoteconcerts

If you're a cultural catalyst, what got you here won't get you there.

Cultural change happens through peers at your level — not through previous cycles of friends, mentees, or employees.

Join our free masterclass:
The Science-Backed Secrets to Activate Your Legacy as a Cultural Catalyst Without Burnout

Register at activateherlegacy.com

In this episode, we sit down with Jaclyn Orent, co-founder of Cultural Catalyst, a peer network for seven-figure founders who are committed to creating meaningful cultural change. Jaclyn shares her journey from sales leadership and consulting into studying consciousness, systemic change, and the science behind sustainable transformation. Drawing on the work of renowned thinkers like Richard Boyatzis, Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and Dr. David Hawkins, she explains how Cultural Catalyst applies proven frameworks such as Intentional Change Theory and resonance-based relationships to help high-level leaders evolve personally while expanding their impact.

Jaclyn also unpacks what it truly takes to scale change exponentially—highlighting the power of peer relationships, shared vision, and nervous system regulation through tools like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). You'll learn why connection at your level of leadership is not just a "nice to have," but a neurological and physiological necessity for long-term growth, legacy, and fulfillment. If you're a purpose-driven founder ready to move beyond incremental success and into holistic empowerment, this conversation offers a compelling look at how to become a true cultural catalyst.

Connect with Jaclyn:
Website: https://www.culturalcontribution.com
LinkedIn: Jaclyn (Kova) Orent

Let's keep the conversation going!
Website: www.martaspirk.com
Instagram: @martaspirk
Facebook: Marta Spirk

Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?
Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest

Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/keynoteconcerts

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