Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

SUMMARY: In this episode of the Feminist Founders podcast, we chat with Mai Moore, founder of Boss Me In, exploring her shift from corporate leadership to championing values-aligned networking for Gen Z women. We discuss creating safer spaces and the unique challenges anti-capitalist startups face. Mai offers impactful leadership tips for building inclusive communities and navigating the non-traditional paths of mentorship and funding. Her insights inspire entrepreneurs to lead with authenticity and purpose, aiming to transform societal norms and foster real change in the business world.

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Mai Moore (she/her) is an Award-Winning Social Impact Leader, Co-Founder of EYEJ: Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice; Founder of Setting Off Social Impact, and Boss Me In. Mai helped two tech start-ups go public; Travelzoo Inc. and United Online. She believes in diverse women, BIPOC persons, and our young people to help create a more equitable and inclusive world. Mai is from Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Website | LinkedIn

Discussed this episode:

• Mai’s relationship with feminism
• Why Mai moved from the C-suite to helping Gen Z women kick off their careers
• What founders need to understand about Gen Z
• The challenging (and different) future that Gen Z professionals face
• What is missing in many mentoring and networking programs and what makes Boss Me In different
• How Mai chose the name Boss Me In
• The “no-mask” policy that appeals to Gen Z’s value of authenticity
• Creating truly inclusive communities
• Steps Boss Me In takes to create safer spaces
• The importance of harm repair inside of communities
• Personal growth and the ebbs and flows of finding values-aligned communities
• How Mai deals with imperfect communities
• Tips for finding truly inclusive communities
• Finding a mentor at any age
• Mai’s best tip for moving beyond the fears of getting visible
• Why founders need community
• The ways Boss Me In is challenging capitalist norms
• VC funding, KPIs, and burnout
• What’s different about Boss Me In’s approach to funding

Resources mentioned:

• Boss Me In
• Empowering Youth, Exploring Justice
• “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

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Elisa Camahort Page (she/her) is a fractional executive and strategic consultant who launches and scales businesses, products, and authentic user communities. Elisa was co-founder and COO of BlogHer, Inc. In that role, Elisa had oversight of the practices, policies, and procedures that modeled how organizations can build community, grow a business, and support inclusion in words and action.

Since leaving the company that acquired BlogHer, Elisa has consulted with organizations to define and deliver on content, product, community, and communications strategies and resource plans that are in alignment with their brand values. A frequent public speaker, LinkedIn Learning course instructor, and freelance writer, Elisa is also the host of The Op-Ed Page podcast and the This Week-ish and Optionality newsletters on Substack, as well as the co-author of “Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All.”

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Threads | TikTok | Facebook

Discussed in this episode:

• Elisa’s relationship with feminism and how it evolved to be more intersectional
• How BlogHer was created to address the early days of blogging
• How values were more than something “laminated on the wall”
• Bootstrapping the rollout, and the growth pains of adding payroll
• Pursuing Series A funding, and who shouldn’t go for VC funding
• Challenges for women pursuing VC funding
• Why Elisa will not go for VC funding again (despite a decent first experience)
• How public and private funding negatively impacts decision making
• Choosing to sell vs. securing another round of funding for growth
• Managing the transition period of a buyout
• Navigating personal values while running a company that has grown beyond you
• The benefit of having an odd number of owners
• Male-dominated leadership of women-dominated products
• Why Elisa’s book wasn’t the one she originally thought she’d write
• The 20 years that destroyed worker trust, and how the pandemic shifted things
• Rethinking employee mentorship models
• New models for making money as content creators (ie, Substack)

Resources mentioned:

• “Roadmap for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism and Advocacy for All,” by Elisa Camahort Page, Carolyn Gerin, and Jamia Wilson
• “The Man Who Broke Capitalism” by David Gelles
• Center for Reproductive Rights
• National Network of Abortion Funds
• Our Hen House

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

SUMMARY: In this episode of Feminist Founders, Catharine Montgomery, founder and CEO of Better Together, shares her journey of building sustainable change. She discusses her unexpected start in entrepreneurship with VC funding and the social impact her agency aims to achieve. Catharine navigates the challenges of transitioning from employee to business owner, overcoming imposter syndrome, and modeling equity and social justice in her business practices. She emphasizes the importance of mentoring, networking, and finding clients who align with Better Together's values. Through her experiences, Catharine provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs navigating similar paths, highlighting the intersection of feminism, entrepreneurship, and social change.

Catharine Montgomery (she/her) is the founder and CEO of Better Together, a communications agency that galvanizes positive change for purpose-driven organizations through creative strategies, messaging and branding. Catharine’s vision for Better Together is to build a more just, environmentally sustainable world centered around human and labor rights, access to education, and healthcare for all through collaborative and creative communication campaigns. After spending nearly 15 years working in public relations, Catharine knows what truly drives results and leaves a lasting impact.

Website | Catharine’s LinkedIn | Better Together LinkedIn | Threads

Discussed in this episode:

• Catharine’s burgeoning and complicated relationship with feminism
• Exiting a toxic work environment (and fighting back)
• How a chance encounter (and a lifetime of preparation) helped Catharine unexpectedly start her agency with VC funding
• Why Catharine decided to accept VC funding, despite being in an industry that isn’t known for relying on it
• How mentoring and networking have helped Catharine as a newer entrepreneur
• Better Together’s values and finding clients that share them
• Making money and doing good
• How entrepreneurship helped Catharine overcome “imposter syndrome”
• The learning curve of going from employee to business owner
• Modeling equity and social justice in how she runs Better Together
• The legacy Catharine hopes to create with Better Together

Resources mentioned:

• Touch4Life
• National Museum of African-American History and Culture
• “Unmasking AI” by Joy Buolamwini

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

SUMMARY: Today we are joined by Rachel Formaro, a seasoned entrepreneur who navigated the tumultuous journey from overwhelmed solopreneur to thriving CEO. Rachel shares her profound insights on transitioning from the solopreneur mindset to embracing empowering business leadership. We delve into the fear of delegating and the essential mindset shift necessary for sustainable business success. Rachel illuminates the distinction between leadership and management, advocating for values-driven decision-making and building a supportive work culture. She emphasizes the importance of investing in a team for sustainable business expansion and shares strategies for navigating short-term challenges while prioritizing long-term gains. Moreover, Rachel candidly discusses prioritizing self-care, overcoming imposter syndrome, and setting boundaries to maintain work-life balance during periods of growth. Join us as we explore Rachel's empowering journey of resilience, growth, and redefining success as a values-driven CEO.

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Rachel Formaro (she/her) is the founder, CEO and a senior consultant at Blu Pagoda. With more than 25 years of broad career experience, Rachel is a top-performing communications and business management professional. She is known for her creativity, compassion, and commitment to achieving results.

While Rachel’s specialty is financial services, she also has experience with technology and consumer goods. She has assisted Fortune 500 with their business and communications challenges—particularly in the area of complex programs. Rachel has experience in both the United States and Canada and has assisted companies with initiatives in both countries, including mergers and acquisitions.

Outside of her work at Blu Pagoda, Rachel loves being a mom, wife, cook and avid reader. She stays engaged with her local community through volunteering and is a board member with the Chrysalis Foundation for Girls and Women.

Website | LinkedIn

Discussed in this episode:

• Rachel’s relationship with feminism and how it became more intersectional
• Her journey from Corporate America to self-employment, back to Corporate America, and finally starting Blu Pagoda
• How Rachel balances her anti-capitalist beliefs with serving clients in Corporate America
• The ways Rachel is trying to buck capitalist norms inside her business
• Getting comfortable with the CEO title by redefining what it means
• The importance of enlisting experts to help you grow as a CEO
• Modeling the self-care behaviors she wants her employees to feel empowered to do
• Setting boundaries around time and not making assumptions about others’ needs
• The weight of responsibility for other people’s livelihoods
• Navigating an economic downturn without losing sight of people-first values
• Creating a legacy and owning the word “philanthropist”
• Navigating aging and ageism as a woman business owner

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• “Hood Feminism” by Mikki Kendall
• Sister.is
• Clifton Strengths
• Drive to Survive on Netflix
• “Rest is a Resistance’ by Tricia Hersey
• Moms Demand Action
• Chrysalis Foundation for Women and Girls
• “This Chair Rocks” by Ashton Applewhite

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

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Meg Wheeler (she/her) is the Founder of The Equitable Money Project, which offers financial education through its free Biz Money Library, CFO support through The Equitable Money Club, and done-for-you tax preparation, bookkeeping and CFO services to primarily marginalized business owners. She is a licensed CPA and financial literacy educator with a focus on helping online educators, service providers and small business owners set up, manage and master the financial aspects of their businesses.

The Equitable Money Project prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and is committed to supporting marginalized and underrepresented business owners through accessible financial education. Meg ties her social justice activism and political work into The Equitable Money Project as part of her commitment to achieving economic equity for all. She is the host of The Disrupt Your Money Podcast and a former Democratic Candidate for the Massachusetts State Senate.

Website | Instagram | TikTok

Discussed in this episode:

• Meg’s relationship with feminism
• Why money is political
• Privilege and generational wealth (vs. being rich)
• The role of ‘money mindset’ in financial conversations
• Why acknowledging privilege is so important for those working in the financial space
• Systemic barriers that contribute to financial inequity
• Why Dave Ramsey and financial “gurus” like him are so problematic
• How they do things differently at Equitable Money Project
• The reason Meg’s gives away the bulk of educational materials for free
• Conditioning that tells women and others with marginalized identities that “they aren’t good with numbers”
• The power of money meetings
• Separating money from self-worth
• The pros and cons of Profit First accounting
• Why “be a radical giver” is part of Meg’s core values
• What Meg’s run for State Senate taught her
• The power of talking to people in your community
• How Meg kissed Zac Efron

Resources mentioned:

• Disrupt Your Money podcast
• Rich White Guys Make Crappy Financial Advisors (episode)
• Biz Money Library
• Gallup study: Bill paying vs. financial decision making
• “Profit First” by Michael Michalowicz
• Pay Yourself First (episode)
• Equitable Money Club
• Elevated Access
• Girls Who Code

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

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Natalie Bullen (she/her) is a Sales Coach, Messaging Strategist and owner of Unapologetic Wealth. As a powerhouse coach and consultant, she positions her clients for wealth by accelerating their revenue with high ticket sales.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Discussed in this episode:

• Natalie’s relationship with feminism (and why she prefers “high achieving breadwinner”)
• How the “American Dream” failed Natalie, and how that fuels her work today
• Natalie’s experience with bankruptcy and the stigma society attaches to it
• Why wealth isn’t rigged, and the real reasons so many never achieve it
• Gatekeeping and wealth
• Overcoming negative money stories
• The reasons Natalie will die on the “sell high-ticket offers” hill
• Why a service-based business needs to be making money from Year 1
• A hobby vs. an abusive business
• Sales vs. abuse
• How Natalie teaches sales differently than others
• The difference between being a producer and a visionary
• Working for free does everyone a disservice
• The money mindset blocks that keep people from making big sales
• Why selling without first testing the marketing is dangerous
• What goes wrong in how most business owners attack growth and hiring
• Doing it all is a quick path to burnout
• Why Natalie is closing down her most profitable program (and what’s next)

Resources mentioned:

• “To Sell Is Human” by Daniel Pink
• Downtown Rescue Mission

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream Life
A guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/
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Vivienne Miles (she/her) doesn’t believe a traditional bio is authentic to who she came here to be. Instead, she shares experiences that don't define her, but that have given her a lens to see herself through and a foundation to define who she came here to be.

• Childhood abuse.
• An unplanned pregnancy at 20.
• Sexual assault and physical abuse in her 20s.
• An abortion at 30.
• Another birth at 34.
• A divorce at 22.
• A bankruptcy, foreclosure, and car repossession.
• $50,000+ in healthcare debt from depression and 12 suicide attempts before age 27.
• A model who posed in Playboy ad used her sexuality as a currency for a decade.

Vivienne has grit and resiliency like no fucking other, but none of those things define who she is or how she interacts and engages in her life. With her Saturn Return, a giant beacon of light began to illuminate a path forward; one where she was no longer willing to tolerate abuse from boyfriends and addictions that kept her in low frequencies and shitty situations.

Her vocation might seem shallow, but it’s full of her heart and a love language of healing, connection and unapologetic love, which transcends the four walls of her Co-Op Movement and Social Club.

Website | Instagram

Discussed in this episode:

• Vivienne’s relationship with feminism
• The meaning of her company’s name, Co-Op Movement and Social Club
• How Vivienne bought into diet culture early in life and eventually rejected it
• The ways Co-Op is challenging diet culture norms in the fitness space
• Why community is as important at Vivienne’s gym as movement
• How Vivienne finds employees who share her values
• The challenges of marketing a gym without shame-based approaches
• The ways privilege plays into gym membership and participation
• How ground-breaking it is to have a gym that isn’t focused on weight loss
• The sustainability of her business model beyond her initial 5-year investment
• Why her business isn’t a passion project or charitable endeavor, and the importance of making money
• What helped Vivienne confront her privilege and set out to begin using it to create meaningful change
• Vivienne’s abortion story
• The journey from struggle to privilege and how the former inspired how Vivienne uses the latter
• Her partner’s journey to feminism and supporting her vision

Resources mentioned:

• Podcast Abundance with Virginia Elder
• Jessamyn Stanley on Instagram
• “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie
• “Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
• AimWell Kids in Kansas City
• Debonie Lewis at Co-Op KC
• The Loveland Foundation from Rachel Cargle

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com