Podcast Summary: The Spiritual Hustler with Jessica Zweig

Episode Title: From $0 to $200M in Revenue: How to Bootstrap Your Way To Feminine Success with Andrea Johnston
Guest: Andrea Johnston, Founder of Fuel for Female Founders
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Jessica Zweig

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of The Spiritual Hustler is a deep exploration of redefining "hustle" in the context of feminine leadership and entrepreneurship. Jessica Zweig interviews Andrea Johnston, a powerhouse entrepreneur who scaled her PR firm from scratch to $200M in revenue and is now committed to uplifting female founders with her new platform, Fuel for Female Founders. Together, they discuss Andrea’s personal and professional journey, strategies for authentic business growth, the critical importance of support and community, and how women can embody both success and serenity. The conversation is packed with tactical wisdom, honest reflections, and inspiration for women ready to rewrite their business scripts from a place of abundance and genuine connection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Andrea’s Entrepreneurial Origin Story

[10:08] - [15:41]

Departure from Corporate: After an extremely toxic corporate experience (including an FBI visit!), Andrea decided not to return after maternity leave and instead considered launching either a day spa or a PR firm—landing confidently on the latter.

“My daughter was literally 8 weeks old when I filed for my LLC.” —Andrea [11:01]
Bootstrapping Beginnings: Started Pure Communications in her daughter’s nursery, relying on her network for initial clients—including unique gigs in wireless and jewelry before pivoting back into her true expertise in healthcare comms.
Networking & Sisterhood: Andrea credits much of her early success to her network, especially women who mentored and opened doors for her without competition.

“I want your business to be successful, not a competitive bone in her body. Just how can I help you build? Because I don’t want to see you go back and work for the man. I want you to work for yourself.” —Andrea [12:50]

2. Growth, Selling, and Leadership as a Woman

[12:39] - [17:33]

Scaling Up: Rapid growth—breaking into life sciences “in 16 months” and scaling the firm to $12M without outside funding.
Family Dynamics: Her husband joined the business, which led to the business blending into every aspect of their lives—prompting a reevaluation of boundaries and eventual decisions around selling.
Multiple Acquisitions: Sold the business initially to a larger platform, then was part of a team that grew revenue to $150M before a second sale.

“We built it to over $200 million… It had been so exciting to really build and scale it to that place and to work with these incredibly talented business owners…” —Andrea [15:11]
Honest Reflection: Andrea acknowledges moments where she didn’t always show up as her authentic self but emphasizes the importance of learning and changing daily.

3. Choosing Self, Redefining Success, and the Pause

[17:38] - [22:20]

Personal Crossroads: After an intense period of travel and leadership, a series of family and personal health wake-up calls (including the death of a team member and her son’s struggles at boarding school) caused Andrea to step back and reassess priorities.
Intentional Pause: She resigned before the pandemic, allowing herself to regain health, spend time with family, and reflect—ultimately leading to higher clarity and purpose.

“I had gained 50 pounds in 18 months… I just felt like I needed to reset.” —Andrea [19:54]
Appreciation for Presence: The pandemic lockdown became a period for reconnection with her family.

4. The Birth of Fuel for Female Founders

[23:54] - [26:37]

Identifying the Gap: Women are often alone at the highest tables, especially in deal-making and exits. Andrea realized the need for woman-to-woman mentorship and strategic advisory—someone who truly understands the unique experience of being a female founder.

“You compound that with the fact that most of the strategic buyers and private equity buyers were largely male… it would have been great to have someone who could prep me for that and get my head ready for those negotiations.” —Andrea [24:09]
Paying Experience Forward: She began helping other women sell their businesses, recognizing her knack for it and the impact she could make.
Fuel’s Mission: Providing strategic, peer, and tactical support across various industries and stages—focused on helping women create wealth and leadership on their terms.

5. Signature Philosophies & Methodologies

[27:20] - [32:15]

“You Get What You Tolerate”: Set high standards and actively enforce boundaries, whether it’s in the boardroom or personal relationships.

“If you tolerate a certain behavior, a certain attitude, a certain performance level, that’s what you’re gonna get. …I believe in setting expectations and creating accountability. Because you get what you tolerate.” —Andrea [27:20]
The $25 Rule: Outsource any task below your effective hourly value to free time for your “zone of genius.“

“I really think of it as scaling your life… making an investment in the things that matter so that you have more capacity… It’s just an efficiency and a trade-off.” —Andrea [28:46]
Deserving Support: Jessica and Andrea highlight how women often struggle with receiving help—a call for women to embrace outsourced support without guilt.

“For some reason, we as women feel like we have to apologize for asking for that help… But we have to start changing that narrative.” —Andrea [31:21]

6. Culture as a Strategy, Not a Vibe

[42:20] - [46:39]

Intentional Culture Building: Emphasizes that culture doesn’t happen by accident; it requires leadership intent, rituals, valuing human connection, and regular in-person team events—even in a virtual world.

“Culture is absolutely a strategy and it is something that comes from intent, not happenstance,” —Andrea [42:20]
Relational Leadership for Scale: From intimate two-person teams to 30+ employees, Andrea (and Jessica) share how investing in culture and people is foundational to business scaling—and to creating unique, lasting workplaces.

7. Community, Visibility, and Amplifying Other Women

[47:46] - [52:01]

Women I Want You to Know: Andrea’s LinkedIn initiative spotlights women (outside the celebrity sphere) making major impact, fostering community and visibility within her network.

“I’m trying really hard to identify women who may not otherwise get a lot of celebration, but are doing these incredible things.” —Andrea [48:34]
Positive Ripple Effect: The series has evolved—spurring dinners, podcasts, and even men nominating women, demonstrating the reach and resonance of authentic celebration.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Power of Sisterhood:
“That’s the power of sisterhood.” —Jessica [13:25]
On Authenticity:
“I regret [moments I shrank], but I also learned from it… If you feel like you are not living true to yourself, that is totally okay. It’s really about how do you change that and the next opportunity you have to show up differently.” —Andrea [16:43]
On Outsourcing Support:
“Men are so comfortable with help… But for some reason we as women feel like we have to apologize for asking for that help.” —Andrea [31:21]
On Culture as Strategy:
“Culture is largely developed in those moments when you are together … and that then feeds into how you deal with each other electronically.” —Andrea [44:55]
On Reciprocity, Not Transaction:
“Your best strategy, aside from being yourself, is being yourself from the heart… you really lead from genuine love and celebration for lifting other people up.” —Jessica [53:23]
On Limitless Potential and Action:
“We have to recognize that it’s incumbent upon us to take the first action. And action is available to all of us.” —Andrea [65:07]
On Climbing Mountains—Literally & Figuratively:
“You’re willing to go first and you do it… for humanity and all its shades. …it is a mountain to climb. …It gets harder as it gets higher… but you really have become such a beacon of empowerment and truth and fire.” —Jessica [62:37, 64:39]

Timestamps for Important Segments

Andrea’s Founding Story: [10:08] – [15:41]
Scaling, Selling, and Decision Points: [12:39] – [17:33]
Personal Crossroads & The Power of the Pause: [17:38] – [22:20]
Birth and Mission of Fuel for Female Founders: [23:54] – [26:37]
Andrea’s Signature Methodologies ($25 Rule, “You Get What You Tolerate”): [27:20] – [32:15]
Culture as Business Bedrock: [42:20] – [46:39]
Women I Want You to Know Series: [47:46] – [52:01]
On Generosity, Leadership, and The Feminine Business Model: [53:39] – [56:22]
Climbing Kilimanjaro—Purpose and Preparation: [58:08] – [62:37]
Andrea’s Final Reflections on Impact and Action: [65:07] – [66:22]

Lightning Round & Fun Takeaways

[66:22] – [69:52]

Favorite Business Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear [66:27]
Favorite Spiritual Book: The Light Work by Jessica Zweig / “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran [66:49]
Spirit Guide/Deity: Athena, representing the balance of feminine and masculine [67:52]
On Being a Co-Creator: “The future of this planet… is all defined by how we show up today. And that is a big responsibility.” —Andrea [68:52]

Overall Tone

The episode is uplifting, transparent, and empowering, with a tone that’s both soulful and practical. Jessica and Andrea mix honest personal reflections with actionable business strategy—always through the lens of feminine wisdom, integrity, generosity, and radical possibility.

For aspiring and established women entrepreneurs alike, this episode is a roadmap and rallying cry to both dream big and stay true—proving that success comes not from burning out, but from showing up heart-first, rising together, and never, ever tolerating less than you deserve.

Links:

Fuel for Female Founders (as mentioned, to be included in show notes)
Connect with Andrea Johnston on LinkedIn
Jessica Zweig’s Books & Work

End of summary. For further inspiration, refer to timestamps and notable quotes to revisit golden insights.

Podcast Summary: The Spiritual Hustler with Jessica Zweig

Main Theme & Purpose

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Andrea’s Entrepreneurial Origin Story

[10:08] - [15:41]

Departure from Corporate: After an extremely toxic corporate experience (including an FBI visit!), Andrea decided not to return after maternity leave and instead considered launching either a day spa or a PR firm—landing confidently on the latter.

“My daughter was literally 8 weeks old when I filed for my LLC.” —Andrea [11:01]
Bootstrapping Beginnings: Started Pure Communications in her daughter’s nursery, relying on her network for initial clients—including unique gigs in wireless and jewelry before pivoting back into her true expertise in healthcare comms.
Networking & Sisterhood: Andrea credits much of her early success to her network, especially women who mentored and opened doors for her without competition.

“I want your business to be successful, not a competitive bone in her body. Just how can I help you build? Because I don’t want to see you go back and work for the man. I want you to work for yourself.” —Andrea [12:50]

2. Growth, Selling, and Leadership as a Woman

[12:39] - [17:33]

Scaling Up: Rapid growth—breaking into life sciences “in 16 months” and scaling the firm to $12M without outside funding.
Family Dynamics: Her husband joined the business, which led to the business blending into every aspect of their lives—prompting a reevaluation of boundaries and eventual decisions around selling.
Multiple Acquisitions: Sold the business initially to a larger platform, then was part of a team that grew revenue to $150M before a second sale.

“We built it to over $200 million… It had been so exciting to really build and scale it to that place and to work with these incredibly talented business owners…” —Andrea [15:11]
Honest Reflection: Andrea acknowledges moments where she didn’t always show up as her authentic self but emphasizes the importance of learning and changing daily.

3. Choosing Self, Redefining Success, and the Pause

[17:38] - [22:20]

Personal Crossroads: After an intense period of travel and leadership, a series of family and personal health wake-up calls (including the death of a team member and her son’s struggles at boarding school) caused Andrea to step back and reassess priorities.
Intentional Pause: She resigned before the pandemic, allowing herself to regain health, spend time with family, and reflect—ultimately leading to higher clarity and purpose.

“I had gained 50 pounds in 18 months… I just felt like I needed to reset.” —Andrea [19:54]
Appreciation for Presence: The pandemic lockdown became a period for reconnection with her family.

4. The Birth of Fuel for Female Founders

[23:54] - [26:37]

Identifying the Gap: Women are often alone at the highest tables, especially in deal-making and exits. Andrea realized the need for woman-to-woman mentorship and strategic advisory—someone who truly understands the unique experience of being a female founder.

“You compound that with the fact that most of the strategic buyers and private equity buyers were largely male… it would have been great to have someone who could prep me for that and get my head ready for those negotiations.” —Andrea [24:09]
Paying Experience Forward: She began helping other women sell their businesses, recognizing her knack for it and the impact she could make.
Fuel’s Mission: Providing strategic, peer, and tactical support across various industries and stages—focused on helping women create wealth and leadership on their terms.

5. Signature Philosophies & Methodologies

[27:20] - [32:15]

“You Get What You Tolerate”: Set high standards and actively enforce boundaries, whether it’s in the boardroom or personal relationships.

“If you tolerate a certain behavior, a certain attitude, a certain performance level, that’s what you’re gonna get. …I believe in setting expectations and creating accountability. Because you get what you tolerate.” —Andrea [27:20]
The $25 Rule: Outsource any task below your effective hourly value to free time for your “zone of genius.“

“I really think of it as scaling your life… making an investment in the things that matter so that you have more capacity… It’s just an efficiency and a trade-off.” —Andrea [28:46]
Deserving Support: Jessica and Andrea highlight how women often struggle with receiving help—a call for women to embrace outsourced support without guilt.

“For some reason, we as women feel like we have to apologize for asking for that help… But we have to start changing that narrative.” —Andrea [31:21]

6. Culture as a Strategy, Not a Vibe

[42:20] - [46:39]

Intentional Culture Building: Emphasizes that culture doesn’t happen by accident; it requires leadership intent, rituals, valuing human connection, and regular in-person team events—even in a virtual world.

“Culture is absolutely a strategy and it is something that comes from intent, not happenstance,” —Andrea [42:20]
Relational Leadership for Scale: From intimate two-person teams to 30+ employees, Andrea (and Jessica) share how investing in culture and people is foundational to business scaling—and to creating unique, lasting workplaces.

7. Community, Visibility, and Amplifying Other Women

[47:46] - [52:01]

Women I Want You to Know: Andrea’s LinkedIn initiative spotlights women (outside the celebrity sphere) making major impact, fostering community and visibility within her network.

“I’m trying really hard to identify women who may not otherwise get a lot of celebration, but are doing these incredible things.” —Andrea [48:34]
Positive Ripple Effect: The series has evolved—spurring dinners, podcasts, and even men nominating women, demonstrating the reach and resonance of authentic celebration.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Power of Sisterhood:
“That’s the power of sisterhood.” —Jessica [13:25]
On Authenticity:
“I regret [moments I shrank], but I also learned from it… If you feel like you are not living true to yourself, that is totally okay. It’s really about how do you change that and the next opportunity you have to show up differently.” —Andrea [16:43]
On Outsourcing Support:
“Men are so comfortable with help… But for some reason we as women feel like we have to apologize for asking for that help.” —Andrea [31:21]
On Culture as Strategy:
“Culture is largely developed in those moments when you are together … and that then feeds into how you deal with each other electronically.” —Andrea [44:55]
On Reciprocity, Not Transaction:
“Your best strategy, aside from being yourself, is being yourself from the heart… you really lead from genuine love and celebration for lifting other people up.” —Jessica [53:23]
On Limitless Potential and Action:
“We have to recognize that it’s incumbent upon us to take the first action. And action is available to all of us.” —Andrea [65:07]
On Climbing Mountains—Literally & Figuratively:
“You’re willing to go first and you do it… for humanity and all its shades. …it is a mountain to climb. …It gets harder as it gets higher… but you really have become such a beacon of empowerment and truth and fire.” —Jessica [62:37, 64:39]

Timestamps for Important Segments

Andrea’s Founding Story: [10:08] – [15:41]
Scaling, Selling, and Decision Points: [12:39] – [17:33]
Personal Crossroads & The Power of the Pause: [17:38] – [22:20]
Birth and Mission of Fuel for Female Founders: [23:54] – [26:37]
Andrea’s Signature Methodologies ($25 Rule, “You Get What You Tolerate”): [27:20] – [32:15]
Culture as Business Bedrock: [42:20] – [46:39]
Women I Want You to Know Series: [47:46] – [52:01]
On Generosity, Leadership, and The Feminine Business Model: [53:39] – [56:22]
Climbing Kilimanjaro—Purpose and Preparation: [58:08] – [62:37]
Andrea’s Final Reflections on Impact and Action: [65:07] – [66:22]

Lightning Round & Fun Takeaways

[66:22] – [69:52]

Favorite Business Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear [66:27]
Favorite Spiritual Book: The Light Work by Jessica Zweig / “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran [66:49]
Spirit Guide/Deity: Athena, representing the balance of feminine and masculine [67:52]
On Being a Co-Creator: “The future of this planet… is all defined by how we show up today. And that is a big responsibility.” —Andrea [68:52]

Overall Tone

Links:

Fuel for Female Founders (as mentioned, to be included in show notes)
Connect with Andrea Johnston on LinkedIn
Jessica Zweig’s Books & Work

End of summary. For further inspiration, refer to timestamps and notable quotes to revisit golden insights.

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From $0 to $200M in Revenue: How to Bootstrap Your Way To Feminine Success with Andrea Johnston

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Summary

Podcast Summary: The Spiritual Hustler with Jessica Zweig

Main Theme & Purpose

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Andrea’s Entrepreneurial Origin Story

2. Growth, Selling, and Leadership as a Woman

3. Choosing Self, Redefining Success, and the Pause

4. The Birth of Fuel for Female Founders

5. Signature Philosophies & Methodologies

6. Culture as a Strategy, Not a Vibe

7. Community, Visibility, and Amplifying Other Women

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Lightning Round & Fun Takeaways

Overall Tone

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Spiritual Hustler with Jessica Zweig

Main Theme & Purpose

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Andrea’s Entrepreneurial Origin Story

2. Growth, Selling, and Leadership as a Woman

3. Choosing Self, Redefining Success, and the Pause

4. The Birth of Fuel for Female Founders

5. Signature Philosophies & Methodologies

6. Culture as a Strategy, Not a Vibe

7. Community, Visibility, and Amplifying Other Women

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Lightning Round & Fun Takeaways

Overall Tone