Start Scared, Stay Brave: Shampaigne Graves on Building a Business from $20

In this episode of Breaking Solo, Donna Amos sits down with Shampaigne Graves, entrepreneur, founder of two businesses, and a powerful voice for women in business.Shampaigne shares how she started with just $20, a free Shopify trial, and a mission to help women start and stay in business—and how that early vision grew into a micro school, training center, and expanding team. She also opens up about the deeply personal loss that inspired her entrepreneurial journey and how she chose to turn grief into purpose by carrying forward her best friend’s dream.You’ll hear practical and inspiring insights on:Growing from solopreneur to building a team (including equity/profit-share options)Why personal branding helped her stand out (“the girl in pink”)How relationships helped her find her niche and grow without money, mentorship, or a roadmapWhy solopreneurs need to stay current on AI, automation, and tech stacksHow to use AI as an assistant without losing your voiceDaily habits that support focus and productivity (including a morning routine you may want to steal 👀)Shampaigne also shares one of the best reminders for anyone starting out: be brave and do things scared. If you’ve been waiting to feel fully ready before making your move, this conversation is the nudge you need.BIOStarting in business with just $20 and a dream - Shampaigne Graves is a Women’s Consumer Research Strategist who explains why billion-dollar companies keep losing money by misunderstanding the $31.8 trillion women’s economy. She developed the proprietary WCR4™ Method after watching manipulative marketing campaigns exploit her sister as a new mother, which ignited her mission to dismantle predatory tactics disguised as empowerment. Her research reveals patterns like “Purchase Panic” (how imposter syndrome sabotages checkout) and “Legacy Consumerism” (how brand loyalty passes through generations like heirlooms) that traditional marketing models completely miss. She’s spoken to over 10,000 people internationally and been featured in Newsweek, WCPO ABC, and Observer for her controversial take that most consumer research is just expensive confirmation bias. Through her consulting practice and owned platforms like the Women’s Trends Summit, she teaches organizations that empathy is a systems design problem, not a soft skill, and translates complex consumer psychology into revenue-protecting operations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Websitewww.shampaignegraves.comSocial Media LinksLinkedIn.com/in/shampaigne-gravesFreebie Giveaway Linkhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfl5UI-A_bkmDfEmDwRVhN_K5YlGNz0BZQGraWM03onfDcl3w/viewform?usp=header