The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

Brain lady Julie Anderson spent thirty years studying how neuroscience shapes women's success, and what keeps them from the million dollar mark is not capability. It is mindset, and specifically what their brains have been trained to listen to.In this episode, Adrienne sits down with Julie Anderson, certified brain health professional and international speaker, to talk about the mindset and neuroscience behind how women build and scale. Julie breaks down why women take on too much, why the word "challenge" activates fight response while "opportunity" opens the prefrontal cortex, and why that small shift changes what the brain looks for. They talk through the evening gratitude practice that has to include something about you, the visualization work elite athletes actually do, and something Adrienne noticed in an AI class that morning: a male instructor typing messy prompts and getting ten times the output of a brilliant woman correcting every comma.If you are building toward a million and wondering why the same patterns keep repeating, this one is worth your time.Chapters:01:38 🧠 Meet Julie Anderson, the brain lady with 30 years in brain science 03:58 🌱 From homeschooling to psychoneuroimmunology: how it all started 08:06 ⚖️ Why women spread themselves too thin and what it costs them 15:44 🔄 Challenge vs. opportunity: brain treats them differently 18:46 🌙 The evening gratitude practice that has to include you 30:29 🏆 What brain scans of elite athletes reveal about visualization 38:16 💻 The AI class moment: perfectionism vs. messy progress 47:16 🔬 One word can activate fight, flight or open the prefrontal cortex 50:34 💰 Normalize the million, and everything after it Links: Email: [email protected] Website: BrainLadySpeaker.com Social: @brainladyjulie  Reach out to Julie Anderson to learn more about the neuroscience behind high performance and the mindset work that helps women leaders scale.  Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️  If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: [email protected] Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking.As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions.  One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!XOAdrienne  (01:38) - 🧠 Meet Julie Anderson, the brain lady with 30 years in brain science (03:58) - 🌱 From homeschooling to psychoneuroimmunology: how it all started (08:06) - ⚖️ Why women spread themselves too thin and what it costs them (15:44) - 🔄 Challenge vs. opportunity: brain treats them differently (18:46) - 🌙 The evening gratitude practice that has to include you (30:29) - 🏆 What brain scans of elite athletes reveal about visualization (38:16) - 💻 The AI class moment: perfectionism vs. messy progress (47:16) - 🔬 One word can activate fight, flight or open the prefrontal cortex (50:34) - 💰 Normalize the million, and everything after it

Hospital gowns strip your dignity. That's what Dr. Cindy Trice learned firsthand during treatment for advanced cervical cancer. When a friend brought her a pair of pajamas, it changed everything: she felt like a person again, not just a patient. That moment became the origin story for Kickit Recovery Wear, a company designing stylish, functional post-surgery clothing and chemo-friendly apparel for women at every stage of recovery. In this episode, Cindy shares the 16-year journey from idea to launch — including a paralyzing car accident at 18, a career as a veterinarian, a sold software company, and the fourth-grade friend who helped her finally bring it all to life.During chemo, a friend brought her a pair of cute pajamas. She put them on and everything changed. She walked laps around the nurses' station. She let visitors in. But the nurses could not work around them, and she realized the hospital gown exists for a reason. The question was: why has nobody made something that works for patients and medical staff?That idea sat for sixteen years. In the meantime, Cindy became a veterinarian, built and sold a software company called Relief Rover, and eventually launched KickIt with three co-founders, including her best friend since the fourth grade. They split ownership equally and built the whole thing together.She is also a patient advocate for Cervivor and wants you to know: cervical cancer is preventable. Get screened.If you are building something from a problem you lived through, this conversation will feel familiar.Chapters:🎙️ 01:04 Rate, review, and share the show 🐾 03:11 Meet Dr. Cindy Trice: veterinarian, cancer survivor, and lover of long and low dogs 🏥 05:17 Breaking her back at 18 and learning what dignity in healthcare really means 🐋 12:47 Volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center and lying her way into a pet clinic job 🩺 21:13 Advanced cervical cancer diagnosis right out of vet school 👗 24:41 The hospital gown that stripped her identity and the pajamas that gave it back 🔧 27:30 Why hospital gowns are designed for function and why nobody fixed them 🚀 30:29 Sixteen years from idea to launch: some ideas need to bake 🤝 33:05 A fourth-grade best friend, two garment makers, and a company built by four women 🔄 36:49 Relief Rover, simultaneous entrepreneurship, and selling the first company 🌱 42:51 The roller coaster is real: confidence, hustle, and building your network 🎁 46:20 KickIt slipper socks giveaway: tag @sheleadsmedia and @kickitrecoverywear  Links:Website: kickitrecoverywear.com  Instagram: @kickitrecoverywear Email: [email protected] If this conversation made you think differently about what recovery can look and feel like, follow KickIt and see what they are building. GIVEAWAY 🎁 Slipper Socks Giveaway! At our most recent Pitch The Media event in NYC, KickIt donated the most beautiful, luxurious Slipper Socks. I have a few pairs left and I would love to give them away to 3 lucky listeners. Here is how to enter: give the show a 5-star rating and review, tag both @sheleadsmedia and @kickitrecoverywear on Instagram. I will choose 3 women to receive a pair of these incredibly cozy slipper socks. Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️  If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: [email protected] Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking.As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions.  One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!XOAdrienne  (01:04) - 🎙️ Rate, review, and share the show (03:11) - 🐾 Meet Dr. Cindy Trice: veterinarian, cancer survivor, and lover of long and low dogs (05:17) - 🏥 Breaking her back at 18 and learning what dignity in healthcare really means (12:47) - 🐋 Volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center and lying her way into a pet clinic job (21:13) - 🩺 Advanced cervical cancer diagnosis right out of vet school (24:41) - 👗 The hospital gown that stripped her identity and the pajamas that gave it back (27:30) - 🔧 Why hospital gowns are designed for function and why nobody fixed them (30:29) - 🚀 Sixteen years from idea to launch: some ideas need to bake (33:05) - 🤝 A fourth-grade best friend, two garment makers, and a company built by four women (36:49) - 🔄 Relief Rover, simultaneous entrepreneurship, and selling the first company (42:51) - 🌱 The roller coaster is real: confidence, hustle, and building your network (46:20) - 🎁 KickIt slipper socks giveaway: tag @sheleadsmedia and @kickitrecoverywear

Brands don't need more visibility, they need meaning. That's the thesis behind Ashley Orfus's work as founder of ALAB Group, where she helps innovative companies replace traditional PR tactics with performance-driven communication built on education, credibility, and community. In this episode, Ashley shares why platforms like Substack and Beehive are leveling the playing field for founders without big budgets, why handwritten notes and customer phone calls are now a competitive edge, and why women founders need to stop discounting their rates before the other person even finishes breathing.Ashley founded ALAB Group at 22 years old, after leaving luxury fashion and entertainment, before entrepreneurship was the default career path it is now. For over a decade, she has been helping founders across technology, food, hospitality, and culture who are not just launching products but inventing entire categories. From audio jewelry to vertical farming to space tourism, her work starts with one question: what is your unique point of view? Ashley challenged something I think a lot of us do. We rush to hire marketing before our product and positioning are actually ready, and then wonder why it does not get us to scale. The world does not need another business, she said. It needs yours to be clear about why it exists. We also got into the money conversation that women founders keep avoiding and why the shift from traditional media to platforms like Substack and Beehive is creating a fairer playing field for smaller brands. If you are building something and wondering where to put your energy, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 02:18 Ashley Orfus on leaving luxury fashion to build ALAB Group at 22 🧪 06:18 The world doesn't need another business: finding your unique point of view 💡 09:08 Frends Headphones, audio jewelry, and how you explain something that doesn't exist yet 💰 12:11 Operating model over scale: why a curated business can outperform a big one 🚫 16:15 The money conversation women founders keep avoiding 🤝 22:17 Substack, Beehive, and the new media landscape replacing traditional PR ✍️ 28:43 Handwritten notes and analog strategy as a competitive edge 🎯 30:05 Don't hire marketing to hire marketing: ask the scary questions first Links:Website: www.alabgroup.com Instagram: @alabgroup / @aorfus Email: [email protected] Your brand doesn't need more noise. Connect with Ashley and the team at ALAB Group to learn more. Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️  If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: [email protected] Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking.As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions.  One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!XOAdrienne  (02:18) - 🎙️ Ashley Orfus on leaving luxury fashion to build ALAB Group at 22 (06:18) - 🧪 The world doesn't need another business: finding your unique point of view (09:08) - 💡 Frends Headphones, audio jewelry, and how you explain something that doesn't exist yet (12:11) - 💰 Operating model over scale: why a curated business can outperform a big one (16:15) - 🚫 The money conversation women founders keep avoiding (22:17) - 🤝 Substack, Beehive, and the new media landscape replacing traditional PR (28:43) - ✍️ Handwritten notes and analog strategy as a competitive edge (30:05) - 🎯 Don't hire marketing to hire marketing: ask the scary questions first

Stop fixing women — fix the system. That's the message at the heart of Jodi Bondi Norgaard's work as an entrepreneur, author, and advocate. In this episode, Jodi shares how a frustrating trip to a toy store with her daughter sparked a mission to challenge the gender stereotypes marketed to girls — and ultimately led her to create the award-winning Go Go Sports Girls, write her book "More Than a Doll," and advise organizations from the White House Gender Policy Council to the Gena Davis Institute.Adrienne and Jodi talk about why gender inequality starts long before the workplace, what it actually takes to keep speaking up when the pushback gets personal, and how women can stop waiting for a seat at the table and start building their own. If you have ever felt tired of fighting for something that should not even be a fight, this one will remind you why you keep going.Tune in to hear why Jodi says women and girls are not broken, and what she is doing about the system that is.Chapters:👋 01:36 Meet Jodi Bondi Norgaard 🎀 04:36 The 75 fashion dolls and zero sports dolls: the toy store moment that changed everything 😳 08:24 Shackles, caution tape, and what the toy industry is actually marketing to girls 🗣️ 13:23 Stop being the good girl: why speaking up is not optional anymore 💰 23:23 Men get funded on potential, women get asked for proof 🌟 24:59 Women need to create their own stages instead of waiting for permission📖 30:04 How More Than a Doll went from self-publishing plan to national release ✍️ 41:08 Writing when you are angry, resting when you are tired, and never giving up Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jodibondinorgaard Website: www.jodibondinorgaard.com  Connect with Jodi on LinkedIn or visit her website to learn more about her work in gender equity and her book More Than a Doll. Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️  If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: [email protected] Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking.As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions.  One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!XOAdrienne  (00:00) - Chapter 1

After 200 conversations with women entrepreneurs building toward $1 million and beyond, I'm recording live from Santiago, Chile, where I'm leading a global field experience for Rice University MBA students. One pattern has emerged that nobody in this space talks about enough: the journey for women entrepreneurs never ends. In this solo episode of the She Leads Podcast, I look back at what these conversations have taught me since I first launched the show as Sugarcoated. The women founders who crossed the million dollar mark did not stop there. They started thinking about impact, exits, and how to help other women in business get to where they are. And the women still on the journey have dealt with massive debt, career resets, and loss that would have taken most people out of the game entirely. Fewer than 4% of women-owned businesses ever get past a million dollars, under 2% of venture capital goes to women, and the Fortune 500 numbers are barely moving. I lay out what those statistics actually mean and what I believe needs to change. I also get into something we do not say out loud enough: not every woman supports other women. I have seen it, and I talk about where that comes from and how to find the people who are genuinely in your corner. This is what 200 conversations taught me about what it actually takes for women to build past a million dollars. Tune in and let me know who you want to hear from next.  Chapters: 🎧 00:57 Conversations with women entrepreneurs across 200 episodes 💡 02:13 Shifting the focus to women building to $1M and beyond 📊 07:05 What the statistics are pointing to for women in business 🚧 14:37 Reaching $1M and pushing past it 🛤️ 20:34 Backslides, twists and turns, and forks in the road to $1M  🔥 24:12 Where support between women breaks down 🌎 29:13 Bringing more women into these conversations Links: Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com To get in touch with me directly, you can send me an email at [email protected]'t forget to let me know who you would like me to interview next and why.Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️  If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️"I love ♥️ listening to The She Leads™ Podcast!” If that thought crossed your mind at any time while listening to our special show, I’d love it if you would take a moment and give our podcast some love too. To do so, simply Rate, Review & Follow Us on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Taking this simple action helps my team and I to spread the word about all the incredible guests featured on The She Leads Podcast and contributes overall to helping women leaders and entrepreneurs everywhere! 🗺 Also, if you haven’t done so already, please +follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!— Adrienne  (00:57) - 🎧 Conversations with women entrepreneurs across 200 episodes (02:13) - 💡 Shifting the focus to women building to $1M and beyond (07:05) - 📊 What the statistics are pointing to for women in business (14:37) - 🚧 Reaching $1M and pushing past it (20:34) - 🛤️ Backslides, twists and turns, and forks in the road to $1M (24:12) - 🔥 Where support between women breaks down (29:13) - 🌎 Bringing more women into these conversations