Female Founder Unplugged

Send us Fan MailYour business is only as healthy as you are. Which is exactly why founder mental health isn't a nice to have, a soft skill or something to get to when things slow down. It's a core business strategy, with data to back it up.And this week's guest Shulamit Ber Levtov is the Entrepreneur's Therapist — a therapist who specializes in supporting women founders, business owners and entrepreneurs with the emotional and mental health demands of running a business. ✨ Episode Highlights🧠 The research is in, and the data is clear: poor founder mental health puts your business at risk.🚗 The difference between therapy and coaching — and why you might need both. Shulamit uses the most brilliant metaphor for this. 'Coaching is riding shotgun, looking through the windshield, figuring out where you're going and how to get there. Sometimes you need to check the rear view mirror. Sometimes there's junk in the trunk that needs to come out. That's where therapy comes in. Both are valid. Both have a role. And neither replaces the other.'🔧 Why you are your business's most precious asset — and the only piece of machinery in your entire operation that doesn't have scheduled maintenance. A manufacturing company would never let its most critical equipment run without regular upkeep. And yet we run ourselves into the ground and wonder why the quality of our decisions starts to slip. Shulamit said it best — working with a mental health professional is a strategic investment in your business. And the LPC Accelerator is where the leadership and strategy work gets done alongside that. Because being a well oiled machine in your brain space, in your identity, in how you show up for your team, is not separate from building a great business. It is the business.There's a spot for you if it's the right time:  Connect with Shulamit:https://shula.ca/https://shula.ca/newsletterSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThree co-founders. Seven years in. But every expert told them it would never work...When Shannon, Katrina, and Tara started Artemis Factor, the advice was unanimous:  "Three founders is too many!" They were told that someone needs to be at the top. That two is already hard so three is a disaster waiting to happen. And yet here they are, seven years later, leading a thriving consultancy in the pharmaceutical space with a model built on high trust, shared leadership, and a genuinely radical commitment to putting the human back into how we build businesses!✨ Episode Highlights🤝 Why the "one person at the top" model isn't the only way, and what shared leadership actually looks like when it's working beautifully🔥 The difference between productive tension and conflict, and why healthy debate, contradiction, and disagreement can actually be the thing that moves a business forward🪞 What it really means to drop the ego as a daily practice inside a leadership team😊 The PERMA happiness model and how Artemis Factor has built a data-driven culture of joy that ripples from their team to their clients to their patientsYou are going to love this high-performing team, and their insight about building enough trust, that when someone says I need to tap out this week, the answer is always "we've got you."🔗 Connect with The Artemis Factor Find Shannon, Katrina and Tara and learn more about their work at Artemis Factor. https://artemisfactor.com/about/And the trust, the culture, the people strategy behind a team like this? That's what we build inside the LPC Accelerator. https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailI'll be honest, this episode is deeply personal for me. In 2024 I went through a period where I genuinely couldn't figure out what was happening to my body. Memory fog. Digestion issues. No sleep. Some days it was hard to work because my eyeballs hurt. Literally. And I kept pushing through because that's what we do — until I couldn't anymore.And we get into all of that and more in this episode with Angela Johnson, CEO of sanoLiving, a women's digital health platform reimagining midlife care for female leaders. If you're waking up at 3am these days, you're going to want to hear this one (and I'll venture that you're going to want a coffee to go with it too! ☕)✨ Episode Highlights🧬 Why your hormones might be quietly sabotaging your business 💰 The real wealth impact of perimenopause on female founders, including the data that shows women are leaving the workforce at 44 while men don't hit the same point until 55, and what that means for our net worth👑 How Angela leads a rapidly growing organization with an inverted triangle model — putting the people closest to the customer at the top and herself at the bottom💬 Why the 'shame can't live when we share', and why this is the conversation women need to be having out loudIt is not okay that you feel shitty. If you don't feel right and you know something is wrong, keep looking until you find someone who says — I believe you and I'm listening. No one knows your body better than you do.Connect with Angela and sanoLiving: sanoliving.ai.comConnect with Lindsay: @highvoltleadership | highvoltageleadership.caSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailAre you being too hard on yourself? The problem you've been trying to fix might need something other than the discipline.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, Lindsay sits down with Aja Beckett — app developer, GLP-1 user, and accidental CEO — who built her app Shotsy from a nights-and-weekends side project into the #1 GLP-1 tracking app in the Health & Fitness category. "Her story is as much about reclaiming her health as it is about building a business from scratch."✨ Episode Highlights💉 How Aja's own weight loss journey became the blueprint for her app, and why lived experience builds better products🧠 Why what looks like a discipline problem is almost always a systems problem (in health and in business)🌍 Leading a fully distributed team from across the world — and why intentional culture isn't optional when you're remote💼 How to choose investors who bring more than money to the tableBecause the practices that got you here won't get you to the next level — and the real scaling challenge is always internal.About Aja Beckett Aja is the founder and CEO of Shotsy, bringing a rare dual perspective as both an iOS engineer and a GLP-1 user. Her tech career spans Apple, CNN, TED, and The New York Times/The Athletic. Find Shotsy on iOS & Android at shotsyapp.comReady to scale without losing yourself in the process? The LPC Accelerator is coaching and mastermind for female founders. It's where scaling meets visionary leadership, empowered people strategy, and a thriving culture. There's a spot for you if you're ready: https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-acceleratorSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou can have a successful business and still feel completely alone. A lot of founders I know are building in the dark and making decisions in isolation, without a real space to let out their thoughts (that have turned into secrets at this point) and be supported. This episode is about what changes when you get out of that loneliness. It features the wonderful Kristina Bartold-Sorgota, co-founder of The Social Snippet, a social media and podcasting agency, and the co-creator of High Vibe Women — a community bringing Canadian female entrepreneurs together to make magic in their businesses. ✨  She's genuine, warm, and honest.Episode Highlights🤝 Why the women who scale fastest are the ones who build the most intentional communities around them🧠 How to start managing the head trash that gets loudest when things get hard🪞 What it means to be a culture champion as a leader, and why your team is always watching how you show up 💬 The difference between wanting your team to love your business the way you do, and what actually motivates people to deliver their best👑 Why leadership in your own business feels so different from leadership inside an organization — and the identity shift that comes with running the whole thing yourselfCome listen, and start finding community right here in this conversation. 🫶 You can connect with Kristina on IG @kristina.bartoldAnd if you're ready to stop building alone: The LPC Accelerator is where we do the real work. It has the leadership, the people strategy, the culture, and the community that holds it all together when things get hard. One-on-one coaching, a mastermind of women who are building right alongside you, and a space where you don't have to carry any of this alone. Learn more and book a call: https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan Mail"I don't really have anyone I can talk to who understands the business and isn't a stakeholder. It's really lonely."A founder said that to me recently, and I've been thinking of it ever since. Because it's true! And it's one of the most important things we're not talking about honestly enough in the entrepreneurship space.This episode is that conversation.Episode Highlights📍 What makes the messy middle feel so uniquely lonely, and how founder isolation happens🧠 Why high-achieving women are especially prone to turning inward when the isolation hits, and what that inner critic sounds like when it does⚡ Why leadership, people strategy and culture have to work together — and what happens when you only focus on one🤲 Why Lindsay intentionally built a mastermind into the LPC Accelerator (and why community is a MUST have)The messy middle is hard, because there are a lot of things happening at the same time: you're evolving as a leader, your team is growing and needs structure, your culture needs to be nurtured, and you're carrying all of it without a real space to share the weight.That's the reality of building something real. And you were never meant to do it alone.📝 Reflection Question from this Episode:Do you currently have anyone who understands you and your business — and isn't directly connected to any of the daily decisions or the strategic outcomes?If your answer is no, that's a gap worth closing.If this episode landed somewhere specific for you, the LPC Accelerator is where the leadership, the people strategy, the culture work and the community all come together, so you don't have to keep carrying this in isolation. Learn more and book time with Lindsay directly at the link below.Learn more about the LPC Accelerator: https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThere's no shame in the game, but if you've thought at least one of these thoughts very recently..."I just need one more person." "If we just hire someone who's good, this will all come together.""I don't know if we can afford to hire, but I don't know what else to do."...Then it sounds like you're in the messy middle of your business. And like most founders in this stage, you don't have a people strategy at all — yet! And that's what this episode is all about. ✨ Episode Highlights:😰 Why reactive hiring gets you into trouble, and what happens when you hit that tipping point💸 The real cost of waiting too long to hire, or hiring without structure🗺️ How to reverse engineer your vision into a people strategy that actually connects your team to your business goals📋 The difference between hiring from fear and hiring from strategy — and how one of the LPC Accelerator clients turned her people strategy into a living roadmap that now drives every hire, every decision and every stage of growthA people strategy that connects every role in your business directly to the vision you're actually trying to build means the decisions get clearer, the team understands what they own, and you stop asking "can we afford this?" and start asking "does this drive our next stage of growth?" ✨That's the CEO move I hope you begin to make. If you're already feeling the burn, running flat out, and you know a people strategy is what's been missing, the LPC Accelerator is where that work gets done. We build your talent roadmap, connect every role to the outcomes, clarify ownership and accountability, and design a structure that supports your culture so that when the growth really starts to come, you're ready.⚡Check out the LPC Accelerator here: https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThis conversation is a direct challenge to the nice girl trap, and is fire from start to finish. 🔥 In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Sarah Khan — leadership strategist, empowerment coach, and the woman who has built a career out of turning quiet excellence into out loud power. If you've ever found yourself shrinking to keep the peace, leading from a place of people-pleasing, it's the hot conversation you need to hear today, my friend. ✨ Episode Highlights🎙️ Why "if you argue with reality, you're always going to have problems" — and what leading from reality actually looks like in practice🚫 The cut-and-paste success myth that's running rampant in the online coaching space🔥 What happens when a team member gains leverage over a leader, and how to make sure that never happens in your business👑 How to be a powerful, impactful leader and still be completely, authentically yourself This is your encouragement to lead from who you really are!Ready to build a powerful leadership identity that holds — so your business can too?  The LPC Accelerator is where we go deep on exactly what we talked about in this episode: The internal leadership work, the people strategy, the culture and the clarity that holds everything together when things get hard. Book a strategy session to figure out if this is your next step!https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator📲 Find Sarah on Substack: sarahkhanoutloudSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailWhat do you do when your own wiring (your 'get $h*t done' attitude) starts to work against you?Until you directly look at the hyper achiever energy that got you to this point in your business, and do the internal work to separate your identity from your output, no amount of hiring, restructuring or strategic planning is going to move the needle the way you need it to. That's what this episode is really about: The internal work that actually has to happen first.✨ Episode Highlights:🧠 Why the drive and ambition that built your business might be capping your growth right now🪞 The hyper achiever saboteur — what it is, how it shows up, and the ripple effect it has on your team and your culture👥 The story of a founder who was softening every piece of feedback, and hoping things would just sort themselves out⚡ Why your leadership is the lever you can control the most — and what changes when you finally doMost people don't need a softer leader. They need a steadier one. And if you're constantly hustling for your self worth and you know that has to change, if you need to create clarity and actually lead like a CEO — the LPC Accelerator is where that work gets done. There's a space for you, and the first step is simply seeing if it's the right fit. https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailLet me paint you a picture.Your revenue is solid, your calendar is full, your inbox is buzzing, and even your accountant is happy. And yet you're lying awake at 3am thinking — how does this feel successful and like it's flying apart at the same time?My friend, welcome to the messy middle. And if that question feels uncomfortably familiar, this episode was made for you.✨ Episode Highlights:📍 What the messy middle actually is, and the five questions that will tell you whether you're in it right now💬 Why you cannot hustle, market, or mindset your way out of this stage — and what actually moves you forward👥 The story of the "everything is fine" founder, and what was really happening behind the scenes🏗️ The leadership identity evolution from expert to architectMost scaling advice was built for someone who looks nothing like you. You have decades of experience, a team you genuinely care about, clients you're deeply committed to, and a business you poured your life into. The messy middle is what happens when all of that growth starts to expose every crack and crevice, and the way you've always shown up stops being enough to hold it together.The good news? This stage has nothing to do with how capable you are, and everything to do with what your business is ready for next. Structure that creates freedom. Leadership that fits the business you've actually built. A people strategy that moves you forward with intention rather than peanut butter and duct tape.That's exactly what we get into today.If you're in the messy middle and you're tired of holding it together with grit and good intentions, the LPC Accelerator is where we do the real work. Not tactics, not quick fixes, but a strategic talent roadmap that connects your people directly to your business plan, so that your team is actually driving your success rather than depending on you to hold it all together. Learn more about the LPC Accelerator: https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou have a marketing plan. A financial plan. Maybe even a product roadmap.But a people strategy?That's the one most founders skip — until things start falling apart.In this episode, Lindsay is calling out one of the most damaging myths in business: that you can figure out your team later, once you've grown. Because your people are your growth strategy. And waiting until you have 15 or 50 people isn't strategic. It's just reactive.If you've ever felt your shoulders tighten at the words "I need to grow my team" — this conversation is going to change something for you.What we dig into:⏳ Why the "we'll figure out the team later" approach is keeping you stuck🔄 The difference between reactive hiring and intentional growth🔭 How to reverse engineer your vision into a phased, calm, doable people plan✨ What a people strategy actually gives you: clarity, relief, and permission to let go🧱 How to build it in layers, without blowing up what's already workingAnd if this one landed, let's keep the conversation going. Find me on Instagram at @highvoltleadership or head to highvoltageleadership.ca to book a Spark Session and explore what's possible. Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThere are moments when someone’s story doesn’t just move you, it changes you. This episode is about leadership, but not the kind you’ll find in a business course or book. It’s about the courage to lead with your whole story.Fallon Farinacci is a proud Red River Métis woman, mom of three, speaker, survivor, and advocate. Through unimaginable grief, she chose to speak and to call people in with her story. This conversation is about truth, the power of personal experiences, and impact. It explores:🤝 How a story creates connection (in life and in leadership)📉 Why transactional businesses struggle to build loyalty🫴 The difference between calling people out vs. calling them in📖 Why women have been conditioned to separate their stories from their success❤️ The courage it takes to ask for help✨ How your lived experience shapes your leadership If you are building a business and trying to compartmentalize your life from your leadership… this episode will gently challenge that.Because you are not your brand strategy, you are the sum of your experiences.And your story belongs in the room.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou’ve built the business. Your team is growing, and opportunities are expanding! Your success means more visibility, more responsibility, and more people depending on you.But all of this happening can actually make you feel quite lonely and unsupported...You can’t vent down, and you don't want to worry your team, your family. Because everyone assumes you’ve figured it out by now.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m talking about this stage of growth — when your business has evolved, but your leadership support hasn’t.✨ Episode Highlights: 🏔️ Why scaling can feel isolating, even when things are going well 🤍  The quiet pressure high-performing women carry 👑 The shift from founder to true CEOThis is exactly why I created the LPC Accelerator.But because at this level, you need a place to think clearly, lead intentionally, and build the kind of team and culture that actually supports you.The Accelerator is for women who are scaling and realizing that growth requires more than strategy. It requires support. Real conversations. Strong leadership foundations. A room where you don’t have to carry it all quietly. If your business is growing but it feels heavier than it should, you don’t have to navigate that alone.  Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailSo… your business is growing, your team’s stronger than ever, and for the first time, things are running without you in every detail. That should feel like freedom, right?But instead, you’re feeling lost. Maybe a little guilty. Maybe even… useless.In this episode, I’m getting real about the identity shift that happens when you finally move out of operator mode and into your CEO seat. The weird in-between, the grief, the guilt, the “who even am I now?” moments.I’ll walk you through the four roles your business actually needs from you now (because “visionary” isn’t the full picture), and how to start owning them in a way that feels aligned and real, not like you’re faking it 'til you make it. What You’ll Hear:🌿 Why stepping out of the weeds can feel harder than staying in the🎢 The emotional rollercoaster of letting go (and why it’s totally normal)⭐ The 4 CEO roles every founder needs to step into:Visionary StewardCulture KeeperStrategic LeaderDecision Architect📖 Two client stories of what redefining your role actually looks likeIf you’ve delegated well, but now you feel disconnected from your own business, if you’re caught between “I’m not needed anymore” and “I don’t know what my job is now... This is the real work of becoming the CEO—not just in title, but in how you lead every day. When you've listened to this episode, I want you to think and ask yourself, what kind of strategic thinking does this business need for me right now? This is where the CEO shift comes from. And this is why I've created a CEO Shift Map for you to start asking the questions and reflecting on being a CEO who leads every day. You can download your CEO Shift Map here: https://go.highvoltageleadership.ca/resource-libraryWant More Help Making This Shift?Inside the LPC Accelerator, we do this work together. We’ll redefine your role, build leadership systems that actually support you, and help your team rise with you.Cohort starts in March. DM me @highvoltleadership or check this link to grab your spot: https://highvoltageleadership.ca/lpc-accelerator/If this episode made you feel seen, share it with a business bestie who needs it too. 🫶 And if you haven’t yet, please subscribe and leave a quick review. It means the world. Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou’re not new to running a business—but lately, it feels like the weight of every decision, deadline, and deliverable is landing on your shoulders. Even with a solid team, you’re still stuck in the middle of it all. But that can change!In this episode, I’m walking you through what I call the invisible architecture—the behind-the-scenes systems that keep your business moving without burning you out. We’ll talk about what’s missing in most growing businesses, and how to finally shift out of overwhelm and into your role as CEO.Inside this episode: ✨  Why so many founders feel like they have to be “on” all the time 🧠 What decision fatigue looks like, and how to reduce it 🧱 Three key elements your business needs to grow without chaos 📖 Real stories from clients who’ve made these changes and are now leading with clarity (not scrambling to keep up)If you’ve been telling yourself, “I’ll just figure it out,” or “It’s easier if I do it myself,” this one’s for you. Want to go deeper? 📄 Download: The Rhythm & Resilience: Leadership WorksheetThis practical guide will help you spot the structural gaps in your business and start building the clarity and rhythm you need to lead with less stress and more impact. Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailShe downsized, reset, and rehired... And what she learned about people strategy will change how you build your team. In this episode, I sit down with social media strategist  Rachel Pedersen to unpack the real and raw lessons behind scaling a team, downsizing with intention, and rebuilding. From “panic hires” to people-pleasing to over-collecting team members out of guilt, Rachel shares how her business hit a breaking point—and how a better people strategy helped her reclaim clarity, culture, and calm.✨ Episode Highlights🚫 Why panic hiring and people-pleasing can quietly wreck your business🎯 The importance of leading with your core values (and Rachel's "core values filter")❤️ Being kind, while still being a strong leader💬 Cutting out the workplace drama🧠 How self-reflection can become the foundation of your leadershipYour people strategy should be evolving, just like you are as a leader. Connect with Rachel: IG: @themrspedersenhttps://rachelpedersen.com/👉 Check out the LPC Accelerator HereSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou’ve built the team. You’ve tried delegating. But somehow, you're still making the final call on every. single. thing.Sound familiar? Then this episode is a must-listen. We’re digging deep into the “Final Decision Maker Trap”—that sneaky leadership dynamic that keeps you stuck as the bottleneck, even when your intentions are good. This episode is all about bringing you clarity, ownership, and a structure that actually supports your team to lead alongside you.Because delegation without decision rights isn’t leadership. It’s just another form of overwhelm.⚡️ Episode Highlights🧠 The real reason your team keeps bringing you options but no decisions 🔁 How unintentionally “re-deciding” is keeping your team stuck🫶 The surprising connection between people-pleasing and burnout 🧭 How to shift from a helpful boss → high-impact leader 🧰 Simple, scalable steps to create ownership without micromanagementThis episode is packed with practical insights and real client stories straight from the LPC Accelerator. If you're ready to scale your business without being “on” 24/7 (or sacrificing the culture you love)—this one’s for you.👉 Ready to finally lead like the CEO your business needs? Join the LPC Accelerator. This high-touch program is designed to help you step out of the weeds, build a high-performing team, and scale with clarity, confidence, and culture at the core. 🎧 And if this episode hit home, share it with a fellow founder, and don’t forget to subscribe so you catch next week’s follow-up: building a leadership structure that fuels growth and frees you.Support the ShowOur mission at Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1,000 female entrepreneurs every season—and we need your help to do that.Please subscribe, leave a review, and share your favorite episodes with your business besties. Together, we’re paving the path for more women to lead boldly, grow sustainably, and build lasting impact.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailHappy New Year, my friends! If you're entering 2026 with equal parts excitement and exhaustion, you’re not alone.Your business is growing. You’ve built something you're proud of. But quietly, behind the success, there’s burnout. There's  “I should be better at this by now.”Sound familiar?In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m confronting a truth that leadership advice tends to bypass: the problem isn't delegation — it’s your leadership design. Your business has evolved, but your leadership system likely hasn’t caught up. That’s why the delegation keeps boomeranging back to your desk.✨ Episode Highlights:🧠 Why “just delegate more” is a toxic half-truth ⚙️ What’s really causing your team to bottleneck (and it’s not lack of talent) 🔁 How delegation without structure becomes a leadership boomerang 🧭 The invisible cost of protecting your culture without clear communication 💥 A mindset shift to save you from burnout this yearIf you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck in decision quicksand, or like your business is outgrowing you, this conversation will feel like a deep breath. And it's part one of a powerful two-part series to kick off your new year with clarity and courage, so stay tuned!📝 Reflection Question for the Week: What kind of leadership does this version of your business require from you? (Write it down, sit with it… We’re answering it together in next week’s episode.)👉 If you haven’t already, hit subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2 — "Why Being the Final Decision-Maker Is Holding Your Business Back" — dropping next Thursday. And while you're waiting for that episode to drop, you can follow me on LinkedIn for exclusive content, resources, and special offers just for listeners. ✨Support the ShowOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that.Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table and providing opportunities for financial independence.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan Mail2025 stretched a lot of founders and exposed some serious cracks in the way we lead.In this episode, I’m unpacking the biggest leadership lessons I learned this year and the 3 high-voltage shifts I’m making to step into 2026 with more clarity, space, and CEO energy.If you’ve been the bottleneck, the fixer, the Chief Everything Officer… this one’s for you.Episode Highlights:⚡ Why 2025 cracked open old leadership habits📉 The real reason your team is still waiting on you🧠 The 3 shifts to make if you’re ready to lead like a CEO🛑 Why resourcing > rescuing (and how to stop carrying what isn’t yours)🧾 The free resource I created to help you reset before 2026 hits👉 Download the 2026 CEO Prep Worksheet — because 2026 requires a different way of leading.And if you want support turning those insights into action, book a Spark Session with me and we’ll map out your next steps for January.As the year comes to a close, I just want to say thank you for being here and for being part of this incredible community.👉 Contact Cardinal Studios at: cardinalstudio.co or [email protected] the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThis episode is a wake-up call for every founder who's ever skipped lunch, powered through with coffee, or told herself she's “too busy” to use the washroom. I'm joined by dietitian and women’s wellness expert Lindsay Martens for a refreshingly honest conversation about how self-leadership starts at the most fundamental level — with what your body actually needs to function, focus, and feel good.✨ Episode Highlights:Why so many smart, successful women ignore basic needsHow dehydration actually puts your brain in survival modeWhat it means to lead yourself first through food and self-awarenessWhy we overthink food — and how to make it simple againThe fiber + protein combo that actually supports your hormonesWhy self-compassion might be your most powerful leadership tool👉 Take Lindsay's “Quiet the Food Noise Quiz” to uncover your biggest food mindset blocks and get personalized tips to make food feel easier, calmer, and more intuitive: https://lindsaymartensnutrition.com/quiz/👉 Book a Spark Session with me here.👉 Contact Cardinal Studios at: cardinalstudio.co or [email protected] the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailHave you ever found yourself up at 10 pm rewriting things, fixing mistakes, or just doing it yourself… even though you’ve hired a team to help you? If you’ve been wondering why your team isn’t stepping up, this episode of Female Founder Unplugged is your wake-up call. Because truthfully? Your team isn’t the issue. But how you’re leading them... that might be.In this episode, I’m breaking down what over-functioning really looks like, why it’s costing you freedom, and how to lead with clarity, trust, and intention.✨ Episode Highlights🚨 The truth about the “dream team” myth — and what no one tells you about hiring📌 What over-functioning actually looks like (hint: it’s not just being busy)📊 Why measuring tasks isn’t the same as creating accountability💡 The real reason your team isn’t taking ownership — and how to fix it🛠️ The four shifts that will create a culture of autonomy and resultsWe’re unpacking what better systems and clearer expectations can do for you and your business.And if you’re ready for personalized support (if you’re still carrying the load and the clipboard), it’s time to make a shift. In a Spark Session, we’ll map out:Where you’re over-functioningWhat needs to be delegatedHow to create clarity and accountability that sticksJust one hour and one clear path forward.👉 Book your Spark Session nowContact Cardinal Studios at:cardinalstudio.co or [email protected] the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever cried in your car, snapped at your partner, or wondered why everything feels heavy even when things look “fine” on paper — this episode is for you. I'm digging into the real reason female founders avoid asking for help, and why that pattern quietly slows your growth, drains your energy, and caps your leadership.✨ Episode Highlights😣 Why even the most capable founders struggle to ask for help🧠 The saboteur chatter that fuels the “I should be able to handle this” loop⚠️ The real cost of doing everything yourself — on your business and your health💡 Why asking for help is wisdom, not weakness🔎 The 5 clarity questions to uncover where you’re overwhelmed or pretending things are “fine”🧭 How protecting your time + energy shifts you back into true CEO mode📄 Download: The CEO Clarity WorksheetGet the 5 questions from today’s episode in a printable worksheet to help you identify exactly where you need support — and why you’ve been avoiding it.Find it inside my Resource Library.⚡ Book a Spark SessionIf this episode hit close to home, a Spark Session might be your next step. One hour. One problem. Clear path forward.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIf you’re constantly chasing people down, repeating yourself, and wondering why things keep slipping through the cracks — this one’s for you.Here’s the truth: your team isn’t lazy. They’re confused. What looks like a motivation problem is usually a clarity problem — and when clarity disappears, accountability goes with it.✨ Episode HighlightsThe real reason “reminders” don’t work — and what to do instead.The three gaps that quietly erode accountability on small teams.Why being the safety net kills ownership (and what to do instead).How to create clear ownership and a feedback loop that sticks.The mindset shift from “babysitter” to boundaried leader.Because accountability doesn’t start with effort — it starts with structure.👉 Ready to fix the accountability gap on your team before Q1? Book a Spark Session — one hour to create clarity, follow-through systems, and a culture where accountability actually sticks.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailWe wear “busy” like a badge of honour — but what’s it really costing us?In this week’s episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m joined by Peggy Sullivan, author of Beyond Busyness: How to Achieve More by Doing Less. Peggy’s research and her own hard-won lessons reveal what she calls time poverty—that constant feeling of not having time for what really matters.Together, we dig into why busyness has become the default mode for so many women leaders—and how to shift from autopilot to intentional action. ✨ Episode HighlightsThe truth about “time poverty” and why so many founders fall into itPeggy’s 3-step Busy Busting Framework for creating more time and joyWhy happiness isn’t a destination—it’s a leadership strategyThe 4 core values that drive fulfillment and sustainable successHow micro-habits can transform your productivity and peaceBecause success isn’t about doing it all—it’s about doing what actually matters.👉 Grab Peggy’s book, Beyond Busyness: How to Achieve More by Doing Less, and try her free Busy Barometer tool at peggysullivanspeaker.com.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIf you feel more like the Help Desk than the CEO, this one’s for you.Somewhere between building your business and leading your team, you became the Chief Everything Officer — solving every problem, approving every decision, and holding everything together by sheer willpower. It’s not sustainable. And it’s not leadership.⚡️ Episode Highlights🚨 Why “firefighter mode” isn’t leadership — it’s survival🧠 How over-functioning leaders create under-functioning teams🤝 The truth about accountability (and why it starts with you)🧭 The leadership shift from crutch → catalyst💬 What it takes to let go without losing controlAnd if you’re ready for one-on-one help to step out of firefighter mode, book a Spark Session — one hour, one problem, one solution. Together, we’ll pinpoint where your boundaries are breaking down, so you can stop being the answer for everyone and start leading like the CEO again.👉 Book your Spark SessionSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIt’s spooky season — but let’s be honest, nothing’s scarier than trying to make your first (or next) hire. You’re standing at the edge of freedom in your business… but all you can think about are the horror stories.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m breaking down how to take the fear out of hiring and bring clarity back into your leadership.✨ Episode Highlights🎯 The #1 mindset shift: Stop hiring for relief and start hiring for results.👥 How to define the real gap before you post the job.🧭 The 5-step framework I use with my clients to make confident, values-aligned hires.💡 What to measure so you’ll know if your new hire is truly working out.🔦 How to spot (and stop) your own leadership traps before they derail a new team member.You don’t need a magic potion — just a clear plan. Tune in now and let’s make your next hire one that helps you actually sleep at night.And if you’re ready for one-on-one help to map out your hiring plan, book a Spark Session — one hour, one problem, one solution. Let’s make your next hire the best one yet.👉 Book your Spark SessionSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailWhat if your values were simple enough to live by—and strong enough to shape an industry?In this episode, I sit down with Jennie Coleman, President & Co-Owner of Equifruit, to talk about fair-trade bananas, fearless leadership, and why “Don’t work with jerks” might be the most effective HR policy you’ll ever write.✨ Episode Highlights🍌 The bold vision behind global fair-trade banana domination❤️ How Equifruit’s three core values—Compassion, Commitment to Change, and Creativity—drive every decision🚫 What “Don’t Work with Jerks” really means (and how to enforce it with empathy)🧩 Turning culture into action—from hiring to supplier partnerships🌍 Leading with values even when you’re the smallest player in a giant industryBecause culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s the daily choice to lead with compassion and courage. And when your values are clear, you don’t just build a stronger team—you build a business you’re proud to lead.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou’ve been told empathy makes you soft. That if you lead with compassion, someone will take advantage of you. But empathy is one of the sharpest tools in your leadership toolkit.In this episode, I’m breaking down what real empathy looks like. I’ll walk you through my simple, five-step practice to start leading with empathy from the inside out.✨ Episode Highlights🔥 Why empathy isn’t soft—it’s strategic.🧠 How to spot the “controller” saboteur that kills collaboration.💬 What self-empathy really looks like (and why it has to come first).💡 The 5-step empathy practice to start TODAY.❤️ How empathy fuels performance, connection, and culture.Because the truth is—you can’t lead others until you can lead yourself. And empathy is where that leadership starts.If you’re ready to quiet the head trash, strengthen your self-awareness, and build the confidence to lead with calm and clarity, come join me in the Positive Intelligence Bootcamp — it’s where we do this work together in real time.👉 Claim your spot here: https://www.highvoltageleadership.ca/positive-intelligenceAnd if you’re just getting started, grab my free Empathy Superpower Starter Kit inside the Resource Vault — your first step to practicing empathy from the inside out: https://go.highvoltageleadership.ca/resource-librarySupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou built your business for freedom. But if you’re the one everyone turns to when the school calls, the groceries are forgotten, or the cat’s sick, that “freedom” can disappear fast. Being the flexible one feels like strength. But over time, it becomes an expectation — and the cost is your focus, your energy, and your growth.In this episode, I share the moment that made me realize bending for everyone else isn’t a badge of honour. It’s leadership fatigue in disguise. And more importantly — what to do about it.Episode Highlights:🐾 The story that opened my eyes to the hidden cost of being “the fixer”🧠 Why invisible emotional labour is quietly sabotaging your growth⏰ The truth about flexibility — and why it isn’t free👩‍👧 How to delegate emotional labour at home and in business🚫 Saying “no” like a CEO (without guilt)Because you can’t scale a business while absorbing everyone else’s overflow. Real leadership isn’t about doing it all — it’s about building a business that works with your life, not against it.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIn this powerful conversation, reconciliation strategist Tanya Tourangeau of Tanya T Consulting joins me to share why reconciliation must be woven into the heart of your business. From building authentic relationships to preparing for the workforce and clients of the future, Tanya breaks down what meaningful reconciliation looks like—and why your business can’t afford to ignore it.✨ Episode Highlights:🌍 Why reconciliation is smart economics, not just a moral obligation👩‍👧 Indigenous people as the youngest and fastest-growing population in Canada—and what that means for your workforce and clients🤝 How reconciliation builds belonging across your team, clients, and investors📝 Simple, no-cost steps you can take right now—without overthinking🔄 The power of two-way mentorship and Two-Eyed Seeing in leadership☂️ Why reconciliation should be the umbrella, with DEI as one arm beneath itBecause reconciliation isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the path to building businesses that last, cultures that thrive, and leadership that actually works.👉 Resources mentioned:Learn more about Tanya's work: Tanya T ConsultingUniversity of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada MOOCSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailBurnout doesn’t arrive overnight. It builds slowly — in the skipped lunches, the extra client you squeezed in, the 7:30 a.m. “quick call” that derails your day. Those aren’t just time management issues. They’re leadership habits. And left unchecked, they’re a straight line to burnout.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I break down the five calendar-based leadership shifts every founder needs to make:⚡ From reaction → regulation: stop firefighting and start leading with intention.⚡ From control → trust: let your team rise instead of holding it all.⚡ From output → energy: protect your energy like your profit margin.⚡ From hero → human: you’re the heartbeat of your business, not the cape-wearing rescuer.⚡ From avoidance → alignment: build a Yes List that actually lights you up.Because you didn’t build your business just to hustle harder. You built it to create freedom, fulfillment, and impact. And that starts with how you lead your time.🎧 Tune in to learn how to reset your calendar — and your leadership — before burnout takes hold.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailAs female founders, we carry so much. We’re leading teams, serving clients, keeping the money flowing, protecting the culture — until the weight gets too heavy. That’s not weakness. That’s leadership fatigue.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m sharing the exact 3-step rescue plan I use with my clients — and with myself — to stop the spiral of overwhelm and get back in control.✨ Episode HighlightsWhy overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re broken — and why it hits the most capable leaders.What leadership fatigue looks like (and how to know when you’ve hit the wall).The 3-step rescue plan: grounding yourself, finding the fire, and reaching for support.A powerful reframe: overwhelm isn’t a sentence, it’s a signal.Because you don’t need to push harder to prove yourself. You just need the right reset.Grab the rescue plan here: From Overwhelmed to In Control.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailAs women in leadership, we may feel equipped to lead our team and ourselves.. But what about our finances?In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m joined by Shashi Behl, Founder & CEO of Joydrop, for a powerful conversation on the part of business we often avoid. We get into what it really means to lead your financial future with clarity and confidence.✨ Episode HighlightsFinancial reframes to take a more grounded approach to your financesWhat it means to take agency over yourselfInvesting in yourself, your business, and beyond, in ways that support your futureBecoming the CFO of youWhen you're clear on your numbers, you're clear on your decisions. And when your people, your plan, and your financial vision are aligned—you stop playing small and start scaling something built to thrive!Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailSuccess isn’t just revenue, fame, or milestones—it’s about alignment, fulfillment, and leading from your values. In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I share why money is a metric—not a value—and how confusing the two leaves businesses looking great on paper but empty in reality.From family connection to authenticity, team growth to legacy, grounding success in what matters most transforms not only your own fulfillment but also your culture—where your team feels real ownership and pride. That’s the kind of success that lasts.✨ Episode Highlights💡 Why money is a metric, not a value🪞 How to define success from the inside out👩‍👧 Family, authenticity, and other values that truly measure success🏆 Building accountability and ownership in your team through shared values🌱 Redefining business success to include impact, culture, and legacy🔑 The questions to ask your team about what success means to themReal success looks different for everyone—and that’s exactly the point. When you get clear on your personal definition, you show up as a more grounded leader, and your team rises with you. That’s how we create sustainable, meaningful growth that goes far beyond the P&L.👉 Access my Resource Vault and download the free Values-Based Success Reflection Worksheet to define success on your own terms and spark powerful conversations with your team. https://go.highvoltageleadership.ca/resource-librarySupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailEntrepreneurship teaches us to move fast: fail fast, scale fast, bounce back faster. But here’s the truth—when you’re always in overdrive, you’re not leading, you’re redlining. And eventually, that pace will cost you your clarity, your creativity, and your joy.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m unpacking why slowing down might just be the most powerful leadership strategy you’ve been overlooking. Because real growth doesn’t come from constant hustle—it comes from creating space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters.Episode Highlights:⏱️ Why our cultural obsession with speed leaves leaders stuck in fear and urgency💔 What we lose when we trade reflection for rushing—joy, freedom, and fulfillment🧘 The power of the pause: how rest fuels resilience and stillness creates strength🔥 Practical ways to break the hurry habit and redefine success beyond speedIf you’ve been running at full throttle and wondering why it still doesn’t feel enough, this episode is your invitation to slow down—so you can lead better, live better, and actually enjoy the business you’ve built.📩 DM me the word PAUSE and I’ll send you my favorite reflection questions to help you lead with more calm and clarity.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIf you’re a founder, you’re probably swimming in advice—coaches, consultants, mentors, LinkedIn posts, podcasts… everyone has an opinion about how you should run your business. But here’s the truth: the wisest voice isn’t out there. It’s in you.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m helping you sort through the noise, trust your intuition, and reconnect with the most powerful advisor you’ll ever have—your inner leader. Because true leadership isn’t about collecting endless strategies. It’s about discernment: knowing which voices to trust and when to let them go.Episode Highlights:🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The difference between a coach, consultant, and mentor (and how to know which one you actually need)⚡ The signs you’re stuck in a loop and it’s time to seek outside perspective💡 Simple practices—like journaling, meditation, and reflection prompts—that strengthen your inner leader🔥 Questions to ask yourself to discern whether advice serves your values, your team, and your visionIf you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many opinions—or doubted your ability to make the “right” call—this episode is your reminder: you already have the wisdom you need.📩 Download my FREE The Inner Leader Check-In Template—your guide to making clear, aligned decisions.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailYou didn’t start your business to babysit, micromanage, or do all the things yourself. But if you’re stuck in the weeds, carrying the weight of every decision, and wondering why scaling feels so heavy—you’re not alone.Here’s the truth: your people are your business. And if you’re not treating them like the valued employees they are, you’re leaving money, energy, and opportunity on the table. In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m breaking down how to shift from helper to high-impact leader—so you can build a team that grows your business without burning you out.Episode Highlights:🧠 Why the “self-made” myth is stalling your growth 💡 How your team creates value beyond deliverables📊 The simple ROI audit to see who’s driving outcomes 🔥 5 shifts to start leading for freedom, growth, and impact If you’re ready to scale your business and your leadership, this is your playbook. Undervaluing your People Strategy leads straight to burnout, and you can take steps today to start leading for growth, freedom, and impact.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailQuick question: When did running your business start to feel like dragging a dumpster fire uphill… in heels… during a hot flash?  Today's episode of Female Founder Unplugged is for every midlife woman out here building a business, raising a family, caring for aging parents—and wondering when the ‘freedom’ part is supposed to kick in.I’m talking to my brilliant friend Brenda Rigney about what really goes on behind the highlight reel—and how to build a business that doesn’t burn you out. This one’s real, raw, and ridiculously validating. Trust me, you’ll feel seen, and you’re not gonna want to miss this.Episode Highlights:👩‍💼 Why midlife women are building businesses and battling burnout 💥 The surprising truth about why female founders struggle with leadership identity👜 Instagram glam vs. entrepreneurship reality—the myth we need to bust 🧠 Self-leadership, menopause, mindset & the myth of “having it all” Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailLet’s be honest: you didn’t start your business to spend your days playing referee, therapist, or emotional clean-up crew. But if you’re finding yourself caught in team tensions, tiptoeing around tricky conversations, or putting out fire after fire—you’re not alone.Here’s the truth: drama is a leadership tax—and it’s one you don’t have to keep paying.In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, we’re breaking down exactly where drama hides in growing businesses—and how to lead with clarity instead of chaos.Episode Highlights: 🧠 Why drama thrives in small teams—and why it’s not about the people (3:56) 🧩 The #1 mindset shift that gets you out of “fixer” mode (6:00) 📋 How to install communication systems that reduce chaos and emotional load (6:45) 🔥 The surprising ways your inner people-pleaser may be hijacking your leadership (9:05) 💬 Why you need to have the damn conversation—and how to start it with heart (14:20)This is your invitation to stop managing emotions and start leading with calm, confident authority. If you’re ready to detox the drama and step fully into your CEO role, this one’s for you.📩 D𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘅 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: 𝟱 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailResilience Isn't a Buzzword—It's a Skillset. Here's How You Build It.Let’s be real: “build resilience” gets thrown around like it’s just another item to check off your to-do list. But what does that actually look like when your launch flops, your team’s floundering, and your inner critic is on a rampage? In this episode of Female Founder Unplugged, we’re cutting through the fluff and breaking down what real resilience looks like for you and your team…when things don’t go as planned.🔥 Episode Highlights: 🧠 How to hit mute on your saboteur and lead with your Sage self instead (6:33) 🛠️ The 5-minute nervous system reset that builds real-time resilience (9:06) 🚀 Why your team’s resilience starts with you—and how to lead by example (13:01) Download my FREE Resilience Reboot Toolkit → https://go.highvoltageleadership.ca/resilience-reframe____________________________________________________________________________________________💡 Ready to lead with resilience—even when things go sideways?Inside the LPC Accelerator, we help female founders like you lead with clarity, confidence, and a people strategy that actually scales. If you’re tired of holding everything together on grit alone, this is your next move.We’ll help you: ✨ Build a team that doesn’t fall apart under pressure ✨ Create a culture where resilience isn’t just a buzzword—it’s built in ✨ Step fully into the next level of your leadership📩 DM me “LPC” on Instagram @highvoltleadership or learn more and apply here → The LPC AcceleratorBecause resilience isn’t something you do alone—and you shouldn’t have to.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever avoided a hard conversation until everything was on fire— hi, me too. No one hands us a playbook for how to speak up with courage...but over the years, I’ve learned that if I want to grow a business with integrity, I can’t keep tiptoeing around the truth.In this episode, I’m sharing the exact mindset shift and 5-step framework I use to lead difficult conversations—whether it’s with a team member, a client, or someone I love.Episode Highlights:🧨 Why conflict avoidance used to cost me time, energy, and trust—and what finally changed. (0:37) 😬 The 3 saboteurs that kept me stuck: the Pleaser, the Perfectionist, and the Martyr. Sound familiar? (2:20) 📋 My CLEAR Framework for hard conversations—center yourself, lead with curiosity, express the impact, ask for what you need, and reinforce the relationship. (6:43) 🌱 What actually shifts in your business when you start leading like a grown-up instead of people-pleasing through it. (13:50)If you’ve been putting off a conversation that’s weighing on you—this is your permission slip to stop avoiding and start leading. You don’t need to be fearless. You just need to be clear.📅 Special Masterclass: Difficult Conversations in Difficult Times — happening July 24 at 9am MT. I’ll be coaching you through this live. (16:05) Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailLet’s get real: You didn’t build your business to be the overworked taskmaster, the fill-in-the-gaps manager, or the fire-putter-outer.But if you’re stuck in that role, chances are your team isn’t set up to thrive—and that’s holding you back from the very things you crave: ✔ More freedom ✔ Bigger impact ✔ Real, sustainable scaleEpisode Highlights: 🔥 Your people add ALL the value in your business. Not some. Not a little. All of it. (1:40) 🔥 Is the “self-made” badge blocking your growth? (2:47) 🔥 Why your team is the product—even in a service business. (3:29)This episode gives you the mindset, tools, and people strategy to shift from overwhelmed operator to empowered CEO.BONUS CONTENT: The 5 Shifts to Scale Your Leadership (and Your Business)Once you've had a chance to listen to the show, take a few moments to do your own reflecting. Here's my tips to start shifting you leadership right now.1. Shift Your Mindset – You’re a CEO, Not a Chief Everything Officer🧠 Reflection: What tasks are you still doing that someone else could own?💡 Action: Make a list of 3 things to delegate this week.2. Audit for ROI – Your Team Should Be Driving Results, Not Just Taking Up Space🔍 Reflection: Who’s delivering? Who’s underutilized? Who’s on the fence?💡 Action: Do a quick team audit using a simple “Keep, Coach, Cut” framework.3. Design for Ownership – Roles that Empower, Not Confuse📋 Reflection: Are your roles designed for clarity and accountability?💡 Action: Draft or revisit 1 role description. Include KPIs and what success looks like.4. Invest in Development – Starting With Your Own🔥 Reflection: Are you modeling the leadership you want from your team?💡 Action: Choose one leadership development habit to build this month.5. Celebrate & Connect – Recognition is Retention Fuel🎉 Reflection: Do your people know why their work matters?💡 Action: Send 1 meaningful recognition message this week (use their "love language").💬 Bonus Prompt at the End:Want help implementing these? These 5 shifts are exactly what we cover in the LPC Accelerator — a high-touch, high-impact program that helps you scale your team and your leadership. If you're nodding your head while reading this, hit reply or DM me “HIGH IMPACT” and let’s talk.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThis week on Female Founder Unplugged, we’re flipping the script on success.Meet Natalia Hooker — a former banker, one-time girl band member, now a boutique publisher and devoted mom who's quietly redefining what it means to build a business with heart.In this episode, we dive into what happens when you stop chasing someone else’s definition of success—and instead create a business that aligns with your life, your values, and your joy. From the stage in Italy to the world of publishing, Natalia’s journey is anything but conventional—and it’s exactly the kind of inspiration we need.Episode Highlights: 🎤 From pop star to purpose-driven publisher: how life’s pivots shape how we show up in business. [2:30] 📖 What it really means to be a hybrid publisher — and why it matters for first-time authors. [4:47] 🏡 Why working without overhead changed everything — for her business and her clients. [8:20] 🧩 How Natalia curates the perfect freelance team to bring each author’s vision to life. [9:05]🎧 Natalia breaks down what hybrid publishing really is—and why she built her model around accessibility, not inflated fees. For her, it’s not about building wealth—it’s about building community, creating joy, and helping authors share stories that matter.This episode is for every founder ready to grow a business that reflects their values—where creativity, freedom, and purpose lead the way.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThis week on Female Founder Unplugged — we’re busting the biggest myth about company culture.Because perks don’t build culture — people do. And when you get it right? Culture becomes your most powerful growth engine.In this episode, I’m spilling the tea on why top talent leaves, why engagement drops, and what it actually takes to build a culture people don’t want to leave.This episode is your mirror and your map. Coming up in this episode:🔥 How cultural drift slowly erodes your team’s energy and trust — and what to do about it. [04:02]🔥What to look for when your culture is off: the 3 red flags most leaders ignore. [05:20]🔥 How scaling your business without scaling your culture will cost you top talent and Why you must model the behavior you want to see. [08:10]This episode will help you reconnect — and rebuild, intentionally.🎧 Listen now:  https://pod.link/1554492119Want help creating rituals and systems that scale culture? Download my free Culture Pulse Check tool. Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThis week on Female Founder Unplugged — we're getting honest about burnout.Because here’s the truth: you didn’t start your business to feel resentful, depleted, or joyless. But if you’re white-knuckling your way through the week, this episode is your wake-up call — and your recovery plan.In this episode, we get real about what burnout actually looks like — and how to take your power back before it breaks you.Episode Highlights:⚡Burnout doesn’t always look like total exhaustion — it might look like you, doing everything right, but feeling completely drained. [01:45]⚡If your team looks great on paper but you’re running on empty, it’s time to stop redlining your business. [03:17]⚡Ask yourself: What are your core values? Are you building a business that reflects them — or betrays them? [04:45]⚡We burn out when our work is no longer aligned with our purpose. That’s not a personal failure. It’s a sign to re-align. [06:24]This episode isn’t about adding more to your plate — it’s about making space for recovery, reconnection, and realignment.🎁 Access the Burnout Bounce-Back Framework Here!Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailTired of hiring people who look great on paper but just… don’t fit? That last hire who drained your energy, missed the mark, and left you picking up the pieces? 👉 It probably wasn’t their fault.💥 You didn’t need a doer.💥 You needed a decision-maker.💥 What you really needed was a People Strategy.In this episode, I break down:Why hiring in panic mode sets you up to fail [2:29]What’s missing from your hiring process (and it’s not another job post) [3:34] My 3-part hiring framework—built for values, strengths, and future growth [4:17] How to stop hiring for today’s fire… and start building for tomorrow’s vision [6:02]✨ This is your CEO moment. Stop hiring based on where you are. Start building based on where you're going. 📈 Access my People Strategy Playbook here.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan Mail⚡ She built the business. Now what?She’s done hiring in panic mode.Done leading from survival mode.Done building a business that looks successful—but feels like total chaos.In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the LPC Method — a leadership framework that will transform how you run your business from the ground up.Here’s what you’ll learn:🔥 What the LPC Method is—and why it changes the way you scale for good. [05:40]🔥 Why aligning your team (including YOU) to your business plan isn’t optional—it’s the strategy. [07:15]🔥 How to identify the gaps holding your growth back—and build a team that can actually deliver. [07:37]🔥 Why the culture you create determines whether your team burns out or levels up. [08:48]If you’re ready to lead with purpose, and build a team that actually moves your business forward—this episode is made for you.🎧 Listen now: https://pod.link/1554492119📲 DM me “UNPLUGGED” if you’re ready to stop doing it all alone and start leading with strategy.This isn’t just hiring advice—it’s the foundation of your future.Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailFemale Founder Unplugged is BACK—and it’s exactly what you need right now.Overwhelmed, overworked, and over it? 🙋‍♀️You didn’t build your business to burn out—and in Season 5 of Female Founder Unplugged, I’m sharing what it really takes to scale without sacrificing your sanity, your team, or your purpose.We’re diving into: ⚡ Leadership that feels aligned (not exhausting) ⚡ People strategy that actually supports YOU ⚡ Building a culture where you and your team can thriveIf you’re ready to scale differently—with strategy, clarity, and heart—this season is for you. 📲 DM me “UNPLUGGED” if you’re ready to lead without the burnoutSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailIn this special season wrap-up, I reflect on the boldest lessons and most inspiring conversations from Season 4 of Female Founder Unplugged. From building people-first cultures to leading with intuition and embracing vulnerability, get ready to learn the biggest leadership takeaways that will help you step into your next level of business and personal growth.🚀 If you’re ready to scale with soul, lead authentically, and build your dream team, this episode is packed with the strategies and inspiration you need to fuel your journey into Season 5 and beyond!In this episode: 🔥 How small, brave moves can reshape your leadership [00:02:36] 🎯 Why "posted is better than perfect" when building confidence and visibility [00:04:46] ⚡ The power of taking bigger swings outside your comfort zone [00:06:28] 💬 Transforming conflict into innovation and growth for your team [00:07:09]Support the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence. 

Send us Fan MailThis week, I sit down with returning powerhouse guest LauraAura (@thatlauraaura)- keynote speaker, coach, and unapologetic champion of bold moves. Laura opens up about her raw, real transition from running a successful branding agency to stepping fully into her calling as a speaker and coach. She shares how embracing her neurodivergence, tuning into her body, and trusting her gut helped her stop redlining and start aligning. This is your permission slip to pause, reflect, and pivot — even if it’s messy.In this episode: 🎙️ The moment Laura knew she had to walk away from her agency [04:11] 🧠 Navigating neurodivergence and burnout as a high achiever [11:39] 🌿 How rest, creativity, and alignment fuel intuition [17:22] 💡 What it really means to make a “gutsy move” in business [23:47] 🔥 The power of pausing before deciding — and why "hell yes or no" works [29:05]Connect with Laura Aura:Instagram: @thatlauraauraWebsite: https://lauraaura.comSupport the showOur mission for Female Founder Unplugged is to impact 1000 female entrepreneurs every season, and we need your help to do that. Please subscribe to the show, and share your favorite episodes with anyone you feel could benefit. We are growing a powerful community here, and everyone is welcome. Together, we can pave a path to giving more women a seat at the table, and providing opportunities for financial independence.