Mom, Son, and a Better Mammogram: Building The Healing Bras for Every Stage of Women's Breast Health with Debbie and Troy Sutton

Mom, Son, and a Better Mammogram: Building The Healing Bras for Every Stage of Women's Breast Health with Debbie and Troy Sutton

A miserable mammogram turned into a patented product. Debbie and Troy Sutton, the mother and son behind The Healing Bras, built warming and cooling therapy pads for women's breast pain at every stage of life. In this episode, I sit down with Debbie and Troy Sutton, the co-founders of The Healing Bras. It started with one cranky drive home from a painful mammogram, when Troy asked his mom how it went and then did something most people never do: he went looking for a better solution, found only clunky, outdated ice packs, and invented one himself. We get into how a biomedical engineer and former college catcher ended up designing an intimate product for women he could never use himself, and why the answer was simple: ask, listen, and stay humble. Debbie and Troy donated over 500 pads to partner organizations to get real feedback on shape, size, and fit, brought a two-time breast cancer survivor onto their board to guide the design, and partnered with an FDA-regulated manufacturer in New Jersey. We also talk about the harder stuff: how a mother and son learn when to be business partners and when to be family, why the relationship sometimes matters more than being right, and how they are scaling from their garage toward hospitals, universities, and women at every stage from first cycles to menopause. If you are building something from a problem no one else bothered to fix, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:00 Meet Debbie and Troy Sutton, the mother and son behind The Healing Bras 💡 02:41 The miserable mammogram and the aha moment that started a company ❤️ 04:42 A son's empathy, and designing for women he could never speak for himself 📋 07:52 From a survivor-guided design to 500 donated pads and real feedback 💰 11:31 The market only cares about the value you create, not how hard you work 👥 12:19 Mother and son, business partners: when to switch which hat you wear 🔄 25:22 Why pivoting from full bras to insertable pads was the smart move ⚙️ 27:20 Building the systems that build the business, not just the product 🏥 29:39 Where the business is headed: hospitals, universities, and student athletes 🌸 32:57 Why the size of a room matters less than who is in it Links: Website: thehealingbras.com [https://www.thehealingbras.com/] Instagram: @thehealingbras [https://www.instagram.com/thehealingbras] Visit thehealingbras.com [https://www.thehealingbras.com/] to shop the healing pads and see testimonials from women across every stage, from first cycles to breastfeeding to menopause. She Leads listeners get a special discount: use code SHELEADS10 at thehealingbras.com/discount/Sheleads10 [https://thehealingbras.com/discount/Sheleads10] at checkout. 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) - 🎙️ Meet Debbie and Troy Sutton, the mother and son behind The Healing Bras * (02:41) - 💡 The miserable mammogram and the aha moment that started a company * (04:42) - ❤️ A son's empathy, and designing for women he could never speak for himself * (07:52) - 📋 From a survivor-guided design to 500 donated pads and real feedback * (11:31) - 💰 The market only cares about the value you create, not how hard you work * (12:19) - 👥 Mother and son, business partners: when to switch which hat you wear * (25:22) - 🔄 Why pivoting from full bras to insertable pads was the smart move * (27:20) - ⚙️ Building the systems that build the business, not just the product * (29:39) - 🏥 Where the business is headed: hospitals, universities, and student athletes * (32:57) - 🌸 Why the size of a room matters less than who is in it

Why a Student's Zip Code Should Not Decide Their Future: Building a Global Online School in 70 Countries with Penelope Barton

A student's zip code should not decide their future. Penelope Barton built a school in 70 countries to prove it. Penelope is the CEO of Crimson Global Academy and co-founder of Crimson Academies, a group of five schools serving students from age five through eighteen, online and in person. Last year her team ran 144,000 classes. Some of her students learn from boats, connected by satellite internet. She grew up in rural New Zealand before the internet, where one teacher covered English, math, and science, and you got whoever you got. That is the problem she has spent six years dismantling. We talk about how she scaled it: starting with two years of high school and one curriculum, then adding learning modes, ages, and countries as students asked for them. She places kids by ability, not age. Seven-year-olds are building apps. A venture capital firm is funding five of her seniors to launch real businesses before graduation. And she just opened a tuition-free school funded directly by the New Zealand government, which took three years of proving results first. She also says something most founders will recognize: the hardest thing she manages is not scale or regulation. It is her own impatience. Chapters: 🌏 03:11 Penelope Barton on growing up in rural New Zealand before the internet 🗺️ 05:22 A student's zip code should not dictate their outcome 🧩 10:45 Full-time, part-time, group class, or one to one 🪜 15:22 Scaling in very small steps toward something that looks huge 🧒 20:46 Seven-year-olds building apps and learning to pitch them 🔁 23:03 The hardest thing she manages is her own impatience 🏛️ 29:53 Three years of proven results before a government funded a free school 👂 42:09 You are never too big to run discovery calls Links: Website: https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/ [https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/] Social: @crimsonglobalacademy [https://www.instagram.com/crimsonglobalacademy/] Reach out to Penelope Barton if you have a teacher in the family looking for something different, or if you run a school or a government trying to widen access to great teaching. 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  * (03:11) - 🌏 Penelope Barton on growing up in rural New Zealand before the internet * (05:22) - 🗺️ A student's zip code should not dictate their outcome * (10:45) - 🧩 Full-time, part-time, group class, or one to one * (15:22) - 🪜 Scaling in very small steps toward something that looks huge * (20:46) - 🧒 Seven-year-olds building apps and learning to pitch them * (23:03) - 🔁 The hardest thing she manages is her own impatience * (29:53) - 🏛️ Three years of proven results before a government funded a free school * (42:09) - 👂 You are never too big to run discovery calls

Why Being Your Industry's Best Kept Secret Is Killing Your Revenue with Diane Strand

You are great at what you do. Your clients love you. And almost nobody knows you exist. That gap between your skill and your visibility is where revenue disappears. Diane Strand of JDS Productions, has spent 23 years building businesses in one of the most competitive industries in the world: entertainment production. She has worked on sets for General Hospital, Friends, and Walt Disney. She built JDS Productions into a seven-figure media company, launched over 100 actors and producers through her studio, and wrote the book on turning creative passion into profit (literally, it is called Creative Preneur). In this episode, Diane breaks down why creativity is not a soft skill but a growth strategy, why action always comes before confidence, and how the same tools performers use on stage (improv, rehearsal, storytelling, stepping into the spotlight before you feel ready) are the exact tools that scale a business past the million dollar mark. She also challenges the money mindset that keeps women entrepreneurs stuck: stop building cash flow and start building wealth. Chapters: 🎬 00:53 Meet Diane Strand: from General Hospital and Disney to a seven-figure media company 🎨 04:15 Why your creative passion is a real business asset 💡 08:40 The mindset shift most creatives never make about money 📣 13:02 Marketing you can actually learn, even if you think you're not a "marketer" 🌱 16:22 The DREAM framework for getting unstuck and moving forward 💪 21:47 Building through fear, self-doubt, and dyslexia 🤝 27:30 Lifting other creatives as you rise ✨ 34:10 One thing you can do today to move your business forward Links: Website: dianestrand.com [https://dianestrand.com] Social: @dianestrand [https://www.instagram.com/dianestrand] Reach out to Diane Strand to learn more about turning your creative passion into a profitable business and using the tools of the arts to leverage, market, and scale. 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  * (00:53) - 🎬 Meet Diane Strand: from General Hospital and Disney to a seven-figure media company * (04:15) - 🎨 Why your creative passion is a real business asset * (08:40) - 💡 The mindset shift most creatives never make about money * (13:02) - 📣 Marketing you can actually learn, even if you think you're not a "marketer" * (16:22) - 🌱 The DREAM framework for getting unstuck and moving forward * (21:47) - 💪 Building through fear, self-doubt, and dyslexia * (27:30) - 🤝 Lifting other creatives as you rise * (34:10) - ✨ One thing you can do today to move your business forward

Why You Don't Need VC or to Quit Your Day Job to Build a Real Business with Toni Toomey

You want to build the business. You also cannot afford to quit your job. For most women, that tension kills the idea before it starts. Toni Toomey refused to let it. She is a second-time founder who sold her first company in her twenties, a full-time AI professional, the primary breadwinner in her family, and the CEO of Hone - a premium postpartum apparel brand made from hormone-safe natural fibers. She bootstrapped her startup without a single dollar of venture capital because, as she puts it, the VC model funds just 2.5% of women founders, so she built her own path. In this episode, Toni shares how she identified a product gap that a male founder would likely miss, why she uses AI to compress days of operational work into hours without ever using it to write her content, and why community is replacing paid ads as the most effective growth strategy for early-stage founders. Toni also breaks down what to look for (and what to avoid) in the fabrics you wear every day and why the apparel industry's impact on women's health is a problem hiding in plain sight.  Chapters: 🎙️ 00:00 Meet Toni Toomey, founder of Hone and creator of Mom Built -a community for mom founders building for other moms. 🌱 03:25 Building a company without quitting a full-time job 🧰 04:43 What a first exit and the right mentors actually taught Toni 🤖 12:45 Where AI helps a solo founder, and where human connection wins 💸 18:59 Why so few women founders sell, and the case for small-check investing 🧪 23:45 The problem nobody else would solve: plastic in what we wear 🧵 33:18 How to read a fabric label and what to actually look for 📍 42:14 Inside Mom Built and where to find Toni Links: Website: wearhone.com [https://wearhone.com] and tonitoomey.com [https://tonitoomey.com] Social: @toni.toomey [https://www.instagram.com/toni.toomey] and @wear.hone [https://www.instagram.com/wear.hone] Reach out to Toni Toomey to learn more about Hone's hormone-safe postpartum apparel, to join Mom Built, or to connect about building a company around a problem you actually live. 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) - 🎙️ Meet Toni Toomey, founder of Hone and creator of Mom Built * (03:25) - 🌱 Building a company without quitting the full-time job * (04:43) - 🧰 What a first exit and the right mentors actually taught her * (12:45) - 🤖 Where AI helps a solo founder, and where human connection wins * (18:59) - 💸 Why so few women founders sell, and the case for small-check investing * (23:45) - 🧪 The problem nobody else would solve: plastic in what we wear * (33:18) - 🧵 How to read a fabric label and what to actually look for * (42:14) - 📍 Inside Mom Built and where to find Toni

College Isn't the Only Path: Building Worker-First Careers and a Women's Camp in a French Château with Leah Lykins

Leah Lykins thinks college isn't the only path to a good career, and she's built worker-first tools that prove it. Leah is the co-founder of WhereWeGo, a public benefit corporation connecting people who are ready to work with the programs ready to train them, and the co-founder of Camp Chateau, an adult women's sleepaway camp in a French château. In this episode, Leah explains why the infrastructure that keeps a country running, from clean energy to advanced manufacturing to the electrical grid, needs people desperately, and how the right framing turns a career nobody has heard of into one worth getting out of bed for. She also shares how she and her mother bought a château for the price of a San Francisco apartment, funded the first location with 150 women, and filled the second in seven days. If you are rethinking your next move, or want to build a business that actually fits your life, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:01 Welcome and why a five star review helps every guest 🌱 03:20 The frustration that started WhereWeGo, 🧭 04:38 No plan B navigation for the students who skip college ⚡ 11:35 The infrastructure jobs that need people desperately 🔍 15:58 How WhereWeGo, meets workers at their comfort zone 🚀 19:53 WhereWeGo Labs and shipping a new tool every 30 days 🏰 27:34 Buying a château for the price of a San Francisco apartment 🌷 33:05 Selling out the second location in seven days 💼 37:42 Building companies women don't have to shrink themselves for 📬 44:27 Where to find Leah, WhereWeGo, and Camp Chateau Links: LinkedIn: Leah Lykins [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-lykins-630193176] Website: WhereWeGo [https://wherewego.org/] Reach out to Leah Lykins to explore WhereWeGo success stories or to connect about the workforce problems you are trying to solve, from helping a young person find their path to navigating your own career pivot. 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  * (00:01) - 🎙️ Welcome and why a five star review helps every guest * (03:20) - 🌱 The frustration that started Where We Go * (04:38) - 🧭 No plan B navigation for the students who skip college * (11:35) - ⚡ The infrastructure jobs that need people desperately * (15:58) - 🔍 How Where We Go meets workers at their comfort zone * (19:53) - 🚀 Where We Go Labs and shipping a new tool every 30 days * (27:34) - 🏰 Buying a château for the price of a San Francisco apartment * (33:05) - 🌷 Selling out the second location in seven days * (37:42) - 💼 Building companies women don't have to shrink themselves for * (44:27) - 📬 Where to find Leah, Where We Go, and Camp Chateau