The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

Why Only 1% of Women Founders Ever Sell: Rethinking the Business Exit with Alisha Pennington

Most women founders never sell the business they built. Alisha Pennington wants to change that, and she says the block is not financial literacy. It is identity. In this episode, I sit down with Alisha Pennington, founder of Exette and a consultant who scaled and sold her own multi-seven-figure staffing agency. Only about 1% of female founders ever exit, and Alisha breaks down why: a lack of women we can point to who have done it, and the emotional attachment that keeps us holding on long after the business stops serving us. We get into the idea that your business is an asset, not your baby. We talk about building for optionality from day one, what "be ready so you don't have to get ready" actually looks like, and her vision for women buying and selling businesses to each other instead of letting them quietly disappear. If you are building toward a million and wondering what comes after, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:52 Meet Alisha Pennington, the founder helping women exit the businesses they built 📊 02:16 Why only 1% of women founders exit, and the 68% who stay for emotional reasons 💭 04:45 How women tie their worth to output, and why that keeps them holding on 🍼 06:36 Your business is not your baby: making logical decisions about an asset 🔁 12:01 The marketplace women are missing: buying and selling businesses to each other ⏱️ 24:32 Be ready so you don't have to get ready: building for optionality from day one 🚪 28:00 Why Alisha sold a multi-seven-figure agency when it stopped being fun 💬 37:06 Inside Exette and the free community normalizing the exit conversation Links: Website: penningtonperspective.com [https://penningtonperspective.com] LinkedIn: Alisha Pennington [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisha-m-pennington/] Instagram: @itsalishamp [https://www.instagram.com/itsalishamp] Facebook: @itsalishamp [https://www.facebook.com/itsalishamp/] Connect with Alisha Pennington to learn more about preparing to exit, sell, or evolve beyond your business, and join her free Exette community at exette.co [https://exette.co] where women are normalizing the exit conversation every week. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program. Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org [http://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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com [Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com].⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com [hello@sheleadsmedia.com]  Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com [http://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!! XO Adrienne  * (00:52) - 🎙️ Meet Alisha Pennington, the founder helping women exit the businesses they built * (02:16) - 📊 Why only 1% of women founders exit, and the 68% who stay for emotional reasons * (04:45) - 💭 How women tie their worth to output, and why that keeps them holding on * (06:36) - 🍼 Your business is not your baby: making logical decisions about an asset * (12:01) - 🔁 The marketplace women are missing: buying and selling businesses to each other * (24:32) - ⏱️ Be ready so you don't have to get ready: building for optionality from day one * (28:00) - 🚪 Why Alisha sold a multi-seven-figure agency when it stopped being fun * (37:06) - 💬 Inside Exette and the free community normalizing the exit conversation

Building a Business in a Male-Dominated Industry: How One Woman Is Disrupting Construction and Real Estate with Jennifer DeVito

Most real estate agents know nothing about the homes they sell. Jennifer DeVito built a woman-owned construction and real estate company to fix exactly that. In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer DeVito, founder of Evolution, a design-build general contracting and real estate company on Long Island. Jennifer grew up running equipment on her parents' excavation sites, became the only woman managing 400 home builds for a national developer, and turned that into a business that combines buying, renovating, and selling under one roof. We get into why she charges sellers a flat fee instead of a percentage, how she gives buyers the true cost of a home before they make an offer, and why she trains alongside her 23 employees every single day. Jennifer is proof that you do not have to build your business the way men built theirs. If you are growing something in an industry that was not designed for you, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🏗️ 02:53 Jennifer DeVito learned the business on her parents' excavation sites 👷‍♀️ 04:27 Running 400 home builds as the only woman on site 🏠 07:05 Buying her first flip at 21 and stumbling into real estate 💡 11:55 Why your real estate agent should also be your contractor 💵 15:19 Replacing the percentage commission with a flat seller fee 🤸‍♀️ 21:00 Forget work-life balance, build work-life integration instead 📈 29:10 The real, unfiltered cost of growing a business self-funded 🛁 39:09 Bath in a Box: transparent pricing for a renovation in 14 days Links: Email: info@evolutionli.com [info@evolutionli.com] Website: evolutionli.com [https://www.evolutionli.com] Instagram: @evolutiongeneralcontracting [https://www.instagram.com/evolutiongeneralcontracting/] Facebook: Evolution General Contracting [https://www.facebook.com/evolutiongeneralcontracting] LinkedIn: Evolution Renovations [https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolution-renovations-wbe/] Reach out to Jennifer DeVito if you are buying, selling, or renovating a home on Long Island and want someone who understands the true cost before you commit. She also offers Bath in a Box, six pre-designed bathroom renovations with transparent, all-in pricing. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program. Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org [http://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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com [Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com].⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com [hello@sheleadsmedia.com]  Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com [http://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!! XO Adrienne  * (00:00) - - 🤸‍♀️ Forget work-life balance, build work-life integration instead * (00:05) - - 🏠 Buying her first flip at 21 and stumbling into real estate * (00:09) - - 🛁 Bath in a Box: transparent pricing for a renovation in 14 days * (00:10) - - 📈 The real, unfiltered cost of growing a business self-funded * (00:19) - - 💵 Replacing the percentage commission with a flat seller fee * (00:27) - - 👷‍♀️ Running 400 home builds as the only woman on site * (00:53) - - 🏗️ Jennifer DeVito learned the business on her parents' excavation sites * (00:55) - - 💡 Why your real estate agent should also be your contractor

Why Women Can't Scale on a System Built Against Them and How AI Changes That with Melissa McCann Tilton

Most business frameworks women are taught were designed for someone else. The playbook says pattern your company after proven models of success, but those models were built for a different kind of founder operating inside a different kind of system. Melissa McCann Tilton, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Criteria, has spent two decades scaling companies from $20M to $100M+ across automotive, logistics, and HR tech. She makes a case that stops you cold: AI does not create efficiency. AI creates amplification. If your decisions, your culture, and your hiring are strong, AI will multiply that strength. If they're broken, AI will multiply the damage. For women entrepreneurs stuck at the revenue ceiling, this is the episode that reframes everything: the old system is finally cracking, and the founders who understand what AI actually does, not automate but amplify, are the ones who will build what comes next. In this episode, Melissa McCann-Tilton, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Criteria and I talk about why she believes the next three to five years will be the most fascinating period in work history, and why women have a rare opening to rewrite the rules right now. Melissa is direct about AI in that it creates amplification vs. the efficiency most people tout. If judgment is bad, AI makes it worse. If your core is right, AI makes it stronger. Melissa and I get into why productivity is the wrong metric, why so many of us feel worthy only when we are producing, and how that harmful societal programming is one of the components that keeps so many women led businesses fighting so hard to break through the million-dollar revenue mark in our businesses. Listen to why breaking the rules might be the smartest business move women can make this year. 🚗 04:23 Melissa McCann-Tilton on surviving brutal, male-dominated industries and learning to scale 🧠 12:16 Why the next three to five years will be the most fascinating period in work history ⚖️ 13:34 Defining the human work and the AI work before you let either take over 💡 18:46 The human renaissance, and why productivity is about to become the wrong metric 🏢 22:12 What return-to-work mandates get wrong about why people show up 💔 34:02 The loss that knocked her out of the grind and changed how she saw other women 🔑 37:19 Hiring for adaptability over pedigree, and making yourself irrelevant ✨ 42:04 AI does not create efficiency, it creates amplification Links: Website: criteriacorp.com [https://www.criteriacorp.com] LinkedIn: Melissa McCann-Tilton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccanntilton] Instagram: @melissamccanntilton [https://www.instagram.com/melissamccanntilton] Reach out to Melissa McCann-Tilton to learn more about hiring for adaptability and designing human-centered organizations where AI amplifies your people instead of replacing them. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program. Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org [http://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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com [Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com].⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com [hello@sheleadsmedia.com]  Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com [http://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!! XO Adrienne  * (04:23) - 🚗 Melissa McCann-Tilton on surviving brutal, male-dominated industries and learning to scale * (12:16) - 🧠 Why the next three to five years will be the most fascinating period in work history * (13:34) - ⚖️ Defining the human work and the AI work before you let either take over * (18:46) - 💡 The human renaissance, and why productivity is about to become the wrong metric * (22:12) - 🏢 What return-to-work mandates get wrong about why people show up * (34:02) - 💔 The loss that knocked her out of the grind and changed how she saw other women * (37:19) - 🔑 Hiring for adaptability over pedigree, and making yourself irrelevant * (42:04) - ✨ AI does not create efficiency, it creates amplification

How to Build a Tech Company Without a Tech Background with Meghann Butcher

Meghann Butcher built RepSpark, a B2B wholesale e-commerce platform now moving over a billion dollars a year, without a single line of tech on her resume. She grew up in her dad's apparel and footwear business, hanging around the warehouse at five years old. At 27, when her father's order-entry tool started catching on with independent sales reps, he asked if she wanted to run with it. She said yes, and bootstrapped it from there. In this conversation, Meghann and I get into how a psychology and communications major became the product visionary for a software company, why she still leans on empathy over technical skill to lead, and how staying close to customer pain points built a platform now used by nearly 100,000 retailers. We also talk about being a mom of three while running a growing company, building a drama-free culture, and what it actually takes to scale a bootstrapped business on your own terms. Tune in for a real look at building something durable without the usual playbook. 🎙️ 02:44 Meghann Butcher on why balance always looks a little wobbly 🛍️ 04:07 What RepSpark actually does for wholesale brands and buyers 👟 05:15 From her dad's warehouse to running with the platform at 27 🧠 10:18 Why a psychology degree beats a tech background for leading software 🌙 14:43 The scary part: testing the platform with real customers 🌱 16:46 Staying bootstrapped and hiring for what you are bad at ⛳ 19:24 Why niching into passion brands built an unbeatable moat 🤝 30:34 The loneliness at the top, and building a drama-free culture Links: Email: meghann.butcher@repspark.com [meghann.butcher@repspark.com] Website: repspark.com [https://www.repspark.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meghannbutcher [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghannbutcher] Reach out to Meghann Butcher to learn more about modernizing B2B wholesale and what it takes to build and scale a bootstrapped software company. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program. Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org [http://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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com [Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com].⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com [hello@sheleadsmedia.com]  Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com [http://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!! XO Adrienne  * (02:44) - 🎙️ Meghann Butcher on why balance always looks a little wobbly * (04:07) - 🛍️ What RepSpark actually does for wholesale brands and buyers * (05:15) - 👟 From her dad's warehouse to running with the platform at 27 * (10:18) - 🧠 Why a psychology degree beats a tech background for leading software * (14:43) - 🌙 The scary part: testing the platform with real customers * (16:46) - 🌱 Staying bootstrapped and hiring for what you are bad at * (19:24) - ⛳ Why niching into passion brands built an unbeatable moat * (30:34) - 🤝 The loneliness at the top, and building a drama-free culture

Why Most Networking Advice Fails Women and the Two-Network Formula That Actually Scales with J. Kelly Hoey

Most networking advice was built for men and tested on men. It tells you to work the room, collect contacts, and follow up fast. But research across four continents and fifteen years of longitudinal studies shows that women who network like men consistently underperform the women who don't. Networking strategist and two-time author J. Kelly Hoey shares the goods from the landmark study that launched her latest book, The Social Billionaire. Women who reach the top don't just stay plugged into information flows. They build a second, inner circle of like-minded women with diverse networks, and they use three high-impact strategies most women have never been taught: brokering, churn, and visibility. If you've been told to "just get out there and network" and it's never moved the needle for your business, this episode explains why, and gives you the research-backed formula that actually works. In this episode of the She Leads Podcast, Adrienne and Kelly unpack the central finding of her new book, The Social Billionaire: the women who get internships, land roles, and grow businesses past the million-dollar mark run two networks at once. One is the broader information flow everyone else is in. The other is a smaller, intentional inner circle of like-minded women with diverse networks who give real feedback, real introductions, and back-channel advice that moves careers and businesses forward. Adrienne and Kelly get into the three high-impact networking activities women consistently skip: brokering, churn, and visibility. They talk about why "I don't have time to network" usually means defaulting to transactional outreach, and why the kindest thing you can do for someone is to be specific about what you need. To build a strong, healthy business with longevity, you must build your network strategically. Kelly tells us why. Chapters: 🤝 02:42 J. Kelly Hoey on how networking became the spine of her career 🔬 09:19 The research finding behind The Social Billionaire 👯 15:21 Why your closest people are the wrong network for career advice 🔗 24:00 Brokering is the high-impact networking move most women skip 🔄 31:34 Churn and visibility: the two activities your network has outgrown 🚀 38:53 The networking formula for women entrepreneurs scaling past a million 🎯 45:50 Being specific is kindness, vague asks shut down the listener's brain Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellyhoey [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyhoey/] Website: jkellyhoey.co [https://www.jkellyhoey.co] Book: The Social Billionaire [https://jkellyhoey.co/the-social-billionaire/] Reach out to J. Kelly Hoey to learn more about the networking formula behind The Social Billionaire and the relationships that move women's careers and businesses forward. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program. Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org [http://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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com [Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com].⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com [hello@sheleadsmedia.com]  Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com [http://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!! XO Adrienne  * (02:42) - 🤝 J. Kelly Hoey on how networking became the spine of her career * (09:19) - 🔬 The research finding behind The Social Billionaire * (15:21) - 👯 Why your closest people are the wrong network for career advice * (24:00) - 🔗 Brokering is the high-impact networking move most women skip * (31:34) - 🔄 Churn and visibility: the two activities your network has outgrown * (38:53) - 🚀 The networking formula for women entrepreneurs scaling past a million * (45:50) - 🎯 Being specific is kindness, vague asks shut down the listener's brain