Hi! I’m Stephanie Breedlove, Co-Founder of Care.com HomePay, Author and Angel Investor.
I absolutely adore taking an idea and giving it life in the form a business, then leading it to its full potential. Nothing is more fun. (Seriously!) I’d love for every woman who wants to start her own business to say the same thing, so here I am, mentoring millennial entrepreneurs. When I’m not working, I like to recharge and head outdoors to hike, bike, or stand up paddle board!
Is that list of business news and trending articles you’ve tagged still unread? I get it. Allow me to help. Take a couple minutes to read my summary of articles serving the most pertinent, actionable business topics. Or, take 10 minutes to read the full article, and put another brick on the foundation of your growing career.
Who it’s for:
Female founders – at any and every stage of business.
Why it’s important:
Securing effective mentors is necessary for business success. As a matter of fact, founders are three times more likely to become highly successful if they are mentored by a top-performing entrepreneur. For women in particular, mentorship is incredibly important. It can create better opportunities, reduce feelings of Imposter Syndrome and help create stronger networks – all of which give you a better chance of success.
Mentorship can come in many forms, and it doesn’t always have to be a direct skills transaction between you and another person. The perfect mentor is often hard to find, so get creative. How about using podcasts to fill the void? They are one of your greatest resources, as you will get mentorship, guidance and expertise – for free. But wait, there’s more: You can also get all of this from successful women. Winner!
Here are some of the most useful podcasts tailored specifically for female entrepreneurs. Check ‘em out:
Women Taking the Lead. Hosted by Jodi Flynn – a business coach who helps high performing clients achieve their goals and overcome obstacles – Women Taking the Lead offers a mixture of interviews with female business owners combined with Jodi’s expert guidance. She covers everything from lessons learned in establishing a business to reprogramming fear into an advantage.
Being Boss. If you’re thinking of starting your own business or are fairly new to the startup game, Being Boss is a podcast that provides a light in the dark. Hosted by Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon, it helps female leaders navigate self-employed life and episodes such as “Rest for Productivity” and “Word of Mouth Marketing” are goldmines of advice for those just starting out.
The Strategy Hour Podcast. If it’s actionable tips you’re after, head over to The Strategy Hour Podcast. Hosted by Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams from Think Tank Collective, it covers the nitty gritty details of running a successful business. From growing an audience organically to getting your website to rank on the first page of Google, the episodes are the perfect combination of highly practical and easily digestible.
Girlboss Radio. Sometimes, we just want to sit down with other female leaders and have a frank heart-to-heart about the realities of running a business. Girlboss Radio offers exactly that. In each episode, founder Sophia Amoruso talks to other entrepreneurs about what it really takes to navigate all the professional and personal obstacles in order to run a successful business.
So Money. Talking about money is still something that many of us find difficult, particularly women. Farnoosh Torabi is an award-winning financial strategist with access to some of the top financial minds in the world. So Money reads like a Who’s Who of financial experts and each episode tackles a different aspect of finance, from saving to paying back debt and gaining financial freedom. Your level of financial knowledge is directly related to your ability to succeed. This tough topic must be tackled, and you can do it.
Goal Digger. Marketing entrepreneur and photographer Jenna Kutcher brings us Goal Digger – a podcast all about setting and managing goals. Whether you’re just starting out in business and wondering how to go from side-hustling to full-time or are looking for new ways to expand your growing business, each episode offers a wealth of tools and advice that you can implement today.
Top Take-Away: Successful entrepreneurs are always learning. Always. Podcasts are amazing tools in the quest for knowledge, and they offer so many wins – from learning something new, to solving a problem, to expert advice, to feeling mentored from authentic sharing. Choose carefully and take advantage.