35 Female Founders Share the Pivotal Decisions That Transformed Their Businesses
There’s a moment that defines every company’s future—whether it’s pivoting a roadmap or making a bold hiring decision. Behind each of these revolutionary moves is a visionary founder who dared to take a risk.?
Are you ready to make your next big move? These 35 female founders might just be the dose of inspiration you need, as they share the game-changing decisions that altered their trajectory and fueled their companies’ transformations.?
Founder and CEO of SAM+LEO , a teen mental health brand with a line of vegan, functional gummy vitamins.
“We shifted from body care products to supplements. This change was driven by personal circumstances, including a divorce and product quality issues. It ultimately led us to a more focused and impactful mission. By pivoting to supplements, we addressed a critical need in teen mental health, allowing us to create a product line that genuinely supports our customers' well-being. This strategic move has not only strengthened our brand but also deepened our connection with our community.”
Founder and CEO of VRTL , an enterprise platform designed for entertainment brands to deliver in-person best practices for fan engagement to a global audience in a virtual environment.??
“VRTL launched with an unnecessarily complicated pricing model. It was designed to protect against a worst-case scenario: fear that a customer could exploit holes in our operations and we'd subsequently collapse under the weight of deliverables. We had zero data, zero instances backing up this fear, and, worse, the pricing model wasn't working. So we made the decision to radically simplify our pricing. It exposed our operations flaws but also created a valuable feedback loop of usage by our clients. The result has seen a significantly higher close rate for enterprise contracts. Not once have we approached a usage threshold that threatens the existence of the company.”
Founder and CEO of Emilia George , providing innovative shopping solutions for parenthood through e-commerce and digital platforms, brand partnerships, and brick-and-mortar locations.
“We just started fundraising in 2024 for the first time, and we've heard from more than 50 investors about the lack of appetite for apparel and inventory-based consumer brands. Our products bring over 50% of our revenue through wholesale purchase orders. However, to develop direct-to-consumer, a full-fledged e-commerce solution and AI-enabled customer service will be critical to attracting any investment in this environment. Long story short, we are launching our membership-driven marketplace for discounted parenthood products and AI-enabled concierge service for new parents.”
Founder and CEO of SupportPay , an all-inclusive family financial solution designed to simplify expense sharing, payment management, and schedule tracking for parents and caregivers.
“In 2018, I bought SupportPay assets back from the investors that fired me the year before. They believed the company could prosper with an insider replacement, which ended up leading to the sale. I used my savings and a loan to buy things back, risking everything in the process. The experience showed me that if you’re betting on yourself, you bet big. It ultimately led to our successes today, with expansion to more caregivers and the employee benefit market.”
Co-Founder of WeNatal , transforming the fertility space with the first prenatal supplement optimized for her and him.?
“We partnered with some of the most knowledgeable, innovative, and well-respected functional doctors, nutritionists, and other experts to create WeNatal. Individuals like Dr. Mark Hyman, Kelly LeVeque, and Brigid Titgemeier are known for diving deep into the science and have not only been instrumental in formulating our product but also in spreading the message about WeNatal and how it stands out in a very saturated category.”
CEO of Mindshow , a real-time animation platform that makes premium computer generated animation fast, fun, and accessible.?
“I accepted a consulting job at an animation technology company without a background in animation or technology. Five years ago, after a successful run in content creation, I saw a shift coming and took a risk by joining Mindshow. Three years later I had raised venture capital, built a services business, and taken over as CEO. Now, I'm launching that tech as a product. It all happened because I took a risk and said yes to something outside my comfort zone.”
Founder and CEO of Superbands , empowering youth through the universal language of music and reshaping the fan experience to change the stigma of youth mental health.
“When I first built the organization, I had initially aimed to be a direct provider of mental health resources. However, I realized that impactful support would require expertise I didn't possess. This bold decision to step back from clinical services allowed us to focus on something I was a professional at: being a fan. We pivoted to allow the organization to leverage the power of music. It was this shift that refocused our mission on creating fan-centered programs, ultimately transforming how we empower young people through mental health challenges.”
Founder and CEO of Inspiro Tequila , a clean, additive-free, ultra-premium tequila brand that is distilled, owned, and led by women.??
“As a startup with limited resources, I bring on many team members on a consulting or 1099 basis. I was fortunate to find a head of sales and marketing with extensive spirits experience and, more particularly, industry expertise in tequila. She worked as a consultant for eight months and then I hired her as my first full-time employee. Having her full time has allowed us to build our team, launch in seven states, get retail placements, and manage marketing agencies. Most importantly as a solo founder, I now have someone to bounce ideas off of. It makes the journey a lot less lonely.”
Founder and CEO of MissPoppins , revolutionizing traditional child-raising support networks by seamlessly integrating a marketplace that connects parents with coaches and community.?
“We pivoted to fully integrate the gig economy into our business model, focusing not just on connecting parents with resources but also providing flexible, rewarding job opportunities for childcare professionals. This strategic shift expanded our impact by enhancing the quality and accessibility of support for parents while creating a sustainable work model for experts in the field. This integration has not only differentiated us in the competitive parenting tech landscape but also strengthened our platform's community, making it a more comprehensive and dynamic resource. This decision was pivotal in aligning our business with the broader trends in the workforce and responding to the needs of modern families.”
Founder and CEO of Jackalo , America's first circular children's clothing brand.
“When I founded Jackalo, I was driven by a vision to create the most eco-friendly, durable kids' clothes on the market. My research revealed that pre-loved garments were the most sustainable option. However, as any parent knows, children's clothes rarely make it to this stage due to the wear and tear they endure. This challenge inspired me to revolutionize the industry by transforming Jackalo into the first circular kids' clothing brand. We design our clothes from sustainable materials to withstand the test of time. Once outgrown, we buy them back to renew and resell or recycle responsibly. This pioneering approach not only sets us apart but also demonstrates that branded resale is a smart, sustainable business model that benefits the planet, consumers, and the company.”
Co-Founder of Relatable Nonprofit , empowering growth-driven people with nonprofit hearts to succeed in consulting.
“After two years of supporting nonprofit organizations, we made a strategic shift to concentrate exclusively on nonprofit employees. This decision was driven by critical reports, compelling statistics, and direct feedback from those working within the sector. We recognized a substantial and largely unaddressed need among these employees and pivoted our efforts to fill this gap. As a result, we find ourselves in a unique position: there aren't many others operating in this newly focused space.”
Founder and CEO of Better Together , galvanizing positive change for purpose-driven organizations through creative strategies, messaging, and branding.?
“I left a previous position due to experiencing racism and started my own communications agency. This move wasn't just about creating a business; it was about establishing a space where diversity and inclusion are at the core of everything we do. Another significant decision was focusing on analyzing and addressing biases in generative AI, positioning Better Together as a leader in innovative and ethical communications. These choices have driven our mission to make a positive impact in the industry and society.”
CEO of Belgian Boys , a women-led company sparking moments of joy in people’s lives with delicious European-inspired foods.
“During the pandemic, we made the pivotal decision to start working with a business coach.The challenges brought on by the massive stress were unprecedented. I realized that we needed to reset and gain new perspectives to navigate through them effectively. Working with the amazing Dana Zelicha provided us with invaluable insights and tools that have reshaped how we lead and manage our startup. It helped us focus on personal growth, enhance leadership skills, and develop a clearer vision for our company's future. This decision not only improved our confidence and resilience, but also empowered our team and strengthened our company culture.”
Owner of ALL Media , a media buying, strategy, and planning agency for small to midsize brands that delivers affordable and actionable plans to take brands from unknown to undeniable.
“When I first started my company, I knew that I wanted to only focus on a particular niche: small to midsize brands. I've always told my clients that when they are ready to hire a big advertising agency and/or they get acquired, we've done our job. That is what success looks like to us. Taking my business a step further to become an advisory board member for some clients has been a pivotal shift to really get more involved in my clients' business and provide them with expertise beyond just media strategy.”
Founder and CEO of Dr. Claire SPEAKS! LLC , a human-centered advisory consultancy advancing health equity, social justice, and organizational wellness.?
“Saying no and staying true to my values has been pivotal in transforming my career. As a new founder, I’ve faced many well-intentioned but persistent suggestions to narrow my focus and advocacy. I am an intersectional mental health practitioner and thought leader. I firmly believe that being open to learning is crucial. However, remaining aligned with my brand identity and life’s purpose is who I am and what God has designed me to do.”
Founder of Quimby Digital , focusing on social media marketing and paid advertising for high-growth brands around the world.
“A fundamental shift in thinking changed the trajectory of my business. We were $90,000 in the red, and I feared we would have to shut our doors. I took a hard look in the mirror and realized my scarcity mindset was holding us back. Embracing an abundance mindset, I manifested a new reality, leading us to our highest revenue year to date. Don't underestimate the true value in how your perception can change your reality.”
Founder and CEO of Leap_year Branding , a different kind of branding studio that builds great brands fast for serial founders and visionary leaders.
“Implementing a paid strategy process that begins every client engagement was pivotal for us. Starting with a smaller project lets us dive deep into their business, build trust, and then truly recommend with greater accuracy what they need or should do next. It eliminates the need for proposals or free work of any kind, and provides a ton of value, even if they don't choose to move forward with a larger engagement.”
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Founder and CEO of Chapter tOO, LLC , an organizational and leadership development consultancy leveraging data-backed people insights to optimize engagement and strategy.
“Over the years, people I know or have worked with have frequently sought my advice on workplace and HR issues. After sharing my insights on social media, I noticed a significant increase in requests, particularly from women. In response, I launched a B2C service designed to advise and coach individuals through workplace challenges like negotiations, bullying, and unfair terminations. Now, I’m the quiet force empowering many women in tech and communications with the 'HR insider’ knowledge on navigating their careers.”
Founder and CEO of Why Get Wasted , working with events and businesses to reduce waste and implement sustainable policies.?
“Initially, we were going to create reusable bottles for dermatologist-level beauty products. We learned that there was a science-based level of research needed to test how the products would interact with different materials as well as a structure that would prevent air from ever entering. Noticing how much I missed events over 2020 and observing the level of unneeded waste at them when I returned, we pivoted. Planning events and fashion shoots had been part of my previous business, and I always did them zero-waste when I could. I decided to apply that skill professionally.”
CEO of Hart Marketing & Communications Inc , the As-Seen-On-TV multi-disciplinary business advisory, personal development, and marketing company.
“I took a multi-year social media vacation during the height of a thriving career as a coach, mentor, and expert. Many people in those fields believe that utilizing social media and oversharing content is required in order to grow, but I found that I was even more productive for my clients. I was exponentially available to provide even more value beyond the usual professional needs to the personal, developmental aspects of growth.”
Stephanie L.
Founder and CEO of Mrs. SEO , offering SEO services, team training, and consulting for small- to medium-sized women-owned businesses.
“After running my company for several years, I began to understand the difficulty clients experience in finding quality SEO professionals. It was hard to accommodate the high demand for SEO services through my capacity as a solopreneur. So, I decided to develop a web app to help people directly connect with SEO service providers for their projects. I believe this innovative move will benefit the business and SEO landscape as a whole.”
Founder and CEO of Amami , a luxury leather goods brand manufactured in the heart of Tuscany, Italy that specializes in crafting bold, exquisitely designed pieces.?
“I brought myself to the forefront. Since my brand is centered around my customers, I initially thought it would be best to stay in the background. However, I realized that as a newcomer, it is crucial for me to be the voice of my brand. By doing so, I can control the narrative for my current and potential customers. This approach has had the most impact, as my marketing is now skyrocketing.”
Founder and CEO of 100 Degrees Consulting , providing CFO and bookkeeping services to nonprofits around the globe.
“We spent the first seven years of our company providing financial strategy and services to two completely different markets: small businesses and nonprofits. It made marketing our services, hiring, training our team, and providing best-in-class services challenging, to say the least. So we made the bold decision to sell our small business portfolio to focus entirely on nonprofits. This meant letting go of team members, clients, and revenue, which was scary at first. However, it has proved to be the absolute right decision, allowing us to go all-in on one ideal client.”
Amina C.
CEO of Nurture Postnatal Care , providing culturally competent, inclusive postnatal support to birthing families, ensuring comprehensive care during the crucial postnatal period.
“We shifted to prioritize inclusive pricing. By actively listening to market feedback, we recognized the diverse needs of our clients and restructured our offerings to include a unique community fund supporting marginalized families and day passes for our in-person retreat. This strategic move not only set us apart from competitors but also strengthened our mission, leading to increased client trust and engagement.”
Founder of Brand Good Time , a good-times-only content marketing and web development agency that works with growth-stage startups to increase their visibility and share of voice.
“We severely under-scoped a project for a big-name brand, taking a big hit financially but knowing it would open doors for us. It was a huge learning lesson. As a result, our team not only completely up-leveled their skill set, we also saw an incredible ROI on the project, which has been a constant lead source for us ever since.”
Founder of Second Degree Society , a female-focused networking community for every woman looking to build strong connections and life-enhancing experiences.
“During the pandemic, I was challenged with the future of my business as an in-person events community. Do I shut down my business, or do I pivot? I quickly decided to pivot to virtual offerings and was overwhelmed by the reception. Now, four years later, virtual programming makes up 90% of our events and has made the business geographically agnostic, with attendees joining from across the country and beyond.”
President of Hey Mr Media , specializing in handcrafted organic social media, paid social campaigns, and video production to help brands connect authentically with their audiences.
“I hired a coach who specialized in coaching digital agencies. Post-acquisition, I was struggling to gain control of the business. This coach advised me to stop building the business I wanted and start focusing on what it already had the potential for. We were already excelling in delivering killer social media marketing campaigns and video projects. However, I was trying to create a full-service agency with a skeleton team. Once I started playing to our strengths and recognizing our success in social and video, our proposition and sales pitch followed naturally. We became confident in what we could deliver and began turning down projects outside our expertise with certainty.”
Founder and CEO of Captivating Consulting , helping accomplished women reclaim their identities and amplify their impact through authentic, ick-free personal brand strategy.
“After many years of running too fast, I decided three years into business ownership to wind down everything I had built so I could take a sabbatical. I was grieving the loss of both my parents and my own identity to my career while processing the difficult end of my last corporate job. In taking this time, I made space to focus and create something totally different. It turned out to be a six-part audio documentary about loss and identity. This was something I had never had the peace and quiet to create before. In the end, the bet paid off. My business grew back, I discovered renewed energy, and I had my best earnings year ever in the year that followed.”
Founder and CEO of Em Dash Content Studio , a boutique team of expert writers and strategists who help clients show up on search and establish themselves as thought leaders.?
“We increased our prices. In our first two years of business, we were substantially underpriced. My thought process was to make our services more accessible to small businesses. Instead, we were often undervalued. Once I increased our prices to fit market standards, we earned more business and more trust.”
Founder of Womankind Creative , a feminist creative agency producing exclusively for the female gaze, unapologetically challenging sexist marketing clichés.
“I tore down my initial agency and rebranded as Womankind Creative. This shift let me align my work with values and social justice. The result? A fired-up community, renewed creative inspiration, and brands making real impact. Today's consumers want allies, not just products. With Womankind Creative, we’re setting the standard for brands that truly get it.”
CEO of Wild Awake , supporting mission-driven female founders and consultants through courses, coaching, and community so they can scale and sustain with ease.
“We embodied feminine leadership principles and reimagined a new paradigm for leadership. The #girlboss era wasn’t centered on changing the existing systems that kept marginalized populations out. Rather, it was focused on dominating them using the same old tactics. Feminine leadership isn't just for women; it's for all of us—centered on being wholly inclusive, leading with love, leaning into creativity and intuition, and knowing that our authenticity comes from our vulnerability.”
Founder of Storybeat Studio , a storytelling and public relations company solving the problems of invisibility, disconnection, and disengagement in work and life.
“I previously produced shows for mass audiences as a 3X Emmy Award-winning television producer. Despite knowing that division and controversy often sell better than connection, the heartfelt independent project I had on the back-burner remained important to me. Recently, I finished the first iteration of the project—Object Diaries: Stories About Human Connection Told One Secret Object at a Time. It was an opportunity to show that as a media creator, you can build something that doesn't need a corporate stamp of approval.”
Founder of Miel Creative , an award-winning, B Corp certified creative studio that amplifies the work of purpose-driven organizations through strategy, design, and communications.?
“The world of graphic design and the creative industry is evolving rapidly. Two years ago, we recognized that continuing to offer the same services would lead to us being left behind. After meeting with our stakeholders, we understood that while design tools have become more accessible, the decisions that come with them are often overwhelming. Now, our work focuses on guiding our clients through the brand-building process as strategic advisors and collaborators.”
Founder of Kōvly Studio , a brand and marketing agency for experience-driven brands.
“After feeling like I had reached max potential in the current market our agency was serving, we rebuilt our strategy and got really specific on who we wanted to work with. Getting granular about that was absolutely transformational. It was the fuel behind every single change we made to further elevate our work and create even stronger partnerships with our clients.”
CRO of RevUp Advisory , believing there's a better, more efficient way to conduct business—one that harnesses the full potential of your team and operations.
“We built out a more comprehensive agency model. This involved hiring a diverse array of experts, including a coach who provided invaluable guidance. By assembling a team of top-tier professionals who excel in sales, marketing, and operational success, we ensured true growth and business transformation. Working with such a talented team for the greater good of our clients and the agency has been transformative to the growth of RevUp Advisory.”
All individuals in this article are either HearstLab portfolio companies or Dreamers & Doers members. Dreamers & Doers is an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women leaders and entrepreneurs by raising their profile through PR, forging authentic connections, and curating trajectory-shifting resources. Learn more about Dreamers & Doers and get involved here .
President/Owner @ ALL Media LLC Media Buying, Strategy & Planning | Strategic Advisor | Board Member
2 个月Honored to be featured along with these amazing leaders. Thank you HearstLab and Dreamers & Doers?. I'm sure there are thousands more women who are in the same boat as us and I want them to know they are SEEN! #entrepreneurs #femalefounders ??
Founder @ Chapter tOO | HR Executive | CEO-X Member | ICF Credentialed Coach | Certified DiSC Trainer | PROSCI Certified Change Management Practitioner | Connector & Multiplier | Biggest fan of Dr. Claire Green-Forde
3 个月So very honored to be featured alongside this incredible group of women.
Creative Storyteller ?? | Mental Health Champion ?? | Nonprofit Founder ?? | Mama ??
3 个月Thanks so much for the feature HearstLab and Dreamers & Doers? ! Honored to be featured alongside so many inspirational women ??
Humanist. Keynote Speaker.Health Equity & Racial Justice Thought Leader. Executive & Organizational Leader. Mental Health Expert. Certified DiSC trainer. In awe of Charmaine Green-Forde
3 个月It is such an honor to be in community with such amazing human beings!
Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer Hearst | Chairwoman HearstLab | Board Member Intuit & AETN | President Helen Gurley Brown Foundation | Member Council on Foreign Relations
3 个月What remarkable women! #hearstlabproud