The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth cover art

The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

By: Adrienne Garland | Business Growth & Wealth Advisor
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The go-to podcast for women entrepreneurs and leaders growing and scaling to $1 million and beyond while building lasting wealth. Each week, Adrienne Garland offers real and insightful conversations that dive deep with bold women entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders across the globe — stripping away the sugar-coating to get at what actually matters. This podcast is for driven women entrepreneurs and leaders growing their businesses for profit and impact. Adrienne is a Professor at NYU and Rice University, an entrepreneur, and a business growth advisor. She's also an MBA grad, and that bold business friend who asks the questions other women in business podcasts shy away from. Topics covered: scaling to seven figures and why it matters for women and the world, funding women-owned businesses, amplifying your voice and visibility, building high-value networks, leadership, designing entrepreneurial ecosystems that benefit humanity, the importance of financial acumen and literacy, and wealth building strategies Less than 2% of women-owned businesses scale beyond seven figures. The She Leads® Podcast exists to change that. Subscribe now and follow @sheleadsmedia on Instagram for She Leads LIVE events, conferences and travel experiences. website: https://www.sheleadsmedia.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennegarland© She Leads Media Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • How to Build a Tech Company Without a Tech Background with Meghann Butcher

    How to Build a Tech Company Without a Tech Background with Meghann Butcher
    May 29 2026

    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
    Website: repspark.com
    LinkedIn: 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

    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.⭐️

    Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com

    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!!

    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
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • Why Most Networking Advice Fails Women and the Two-Network Formula That Actually Scales with J. Kelly Hoey

    Why Most Networking Advice Fails Women and the Two-Network Formula That Actually Scales with J. Kelly Hoey
    May 22 2026
    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 brainLinks:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellyhoey Website: jkellyhoey.co Book: The Social BillionaireReach 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 sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com.⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com 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 (02:42) - 🤝 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
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Why the Founder to CEO Shift Is Really a Communication Shift with Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport

    Why the Founder to CEO Shift Is Really a Communication Shift with Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport
    May 15 2026
    The hardest shift in business is learning to lead your team without doing their jobs for them. Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, runs a 6,000-person, 24/7/365 operation where a communication breakdown is both costly and dangerous. She took a struggling, de-hubbed Pittsburgh International and turned it into one of the most celebrated airports in the world, and she did it by mastering how to communicate the WHY behind every decision. If you're a founder who has built your business on doing everything yourself and you're hitting the ceiling, this episode articulates why your ability to communicate a vision your team can execute without you in the room is the number one way to scale with excellence.In this episode of The She Leads Podcast, Adrienne Garland speaks with Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International and Allegheny County Airport. Under Christina's leadership, Pittsburgh International became the first major airport in the world powered entirely by a microgrid, an Air Transport World Airport of the Year, and one of Fast Company's most innovative companies.Christina makes the case that communication is not a soft skill. Rather, it is a core leadership skill. Her assertion is backed by her actions during COVID: all-hands calls every Wednesday across three shifts for fourteen months. She also explains what she calls her legacy-first leadership approach and why she has no plans to put AI bots in front of passengers.If you have ever wondered whether your team actually understands what you are trying to build and why you're building it, Christina has spent eleven years answering that question one Wednesday at a time.Chapters:🛫 02:47 Christina Cassotis on deciding to leave college, then running a major airport💡 09:03 You don't need your whole life planned out at 23🗣️ 17:35 Communication is the core leadership skill, not a soft one📞 19:38 Fourteen months of Wednesday all-hands calls across three shifts during COVID🌱 29:02 Why an airport that handles 500 organs a year built a microgrid💰 35:22 How airports make money, and why parking pricing is competitive🤖 43:34 Customer service stays human, even in the age of agentic AI🐝 47:00 Inside xBridge, the airport accelerator turning Pittsburgh into a robotics hubLinks:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christinacassotisReach out to Christina Cassotis to learn more about leading complex infrastructure and building a leadership practice around communicating the 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 Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com.⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com 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 (02:47) - 🛫 Christina Cassotis on flunking out of college on purpose, then running a major airport (09:03) - 💡 You don't need your whole life planned out at 23 (17:35) - 🗣️ Communication is the core leadership skill, not a soft one (19:38) - 📞 Fourteen months of Wednesday all-hands calls across three shifts during COVID (29:02) - 🌱 Why an airport that handles 500 organs a year built a microgrid (35:22) - 💰 How airports make money, and why parking pricing is competitive (43:34) - 🤖 Customer service stays human, even in the age of agentic AI (47:00) - 🐝 Inside xBridge, the airport accelerator turning Pittsburgh into a robotics hub
    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
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