← The Spiritual Hustler
The Spiritual Hustler
From $0 to $200M in Revenue: How to Bootstrap Your Way To Feminine Success with Andrea Johnston
01:02:59
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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to the Spiritual Hustler podcast. I'm your host, Jessica Zweig, multi seven figure serial entrepreneur, best selling author and branding and business coach. And this is a show where we are redefining the word hustle. Reclaiming our true feminine nature of magnetism and putting down the self judgments and shame around loving to work and making a lot of money at it. On this show, you're going to learn how to stop hustling and start spiritually hustling. By pressing play, you are now part of a new movement of women who don't hustle for money. We hustle for meaning. We don't hustle from lack. We hustle for love. We don't hustle from survival. We hustle for humanity's thriving. We hustle toward healing the ancestral programming of fear and step into a new understanding of safety in the body. To receive this shift isn't going to only heal your life. It's going to make you a whole lot richer too. This is the Spiritual Hustler podcast. Hello my beautiful spiritual Hustlers and welcome back to the podcast. I am your host, Jessica Zweig and I am just buzzing right now. I mean, I'm buzzing for a few reasons. One, I move into my new house tomorrow. You guys wanted to think fun. I'm just gonna say this because this is fun for me and I think most of you will really get this and appreciate this. So we bought our land for our new home on July 11, 7, 11, 20, 22. Pretty hard day to forget. And we move into our house on 11, 7, 20, 25. We bought the land. This journey started on 7, 11. We ended on 11, 7. It is like so cosmic, so full circle. I just got the chills as I was explaining this. It's been a three and a half year journey, you guys, and I am honestly in a state of surrealism in a way. It doesn't even feel real. I'm recording this intro in my office in my current home where I've lived for the last year and a half. This is my last intro that I'll record here. And it's kind of appropriate because the last interview that I did here just a few weeks ago was with my guest today. And I'm not just giddy because I'm moving to my house tomorrow. I'm giddy because I get to introduce all of you to a woman that it's hard to find the words to describe how much this woman has changed my life. She's one of the most phenomenal entrepreneurs, executives and sisters. Yeah. With A capital S that I've ever been privileged to know in my entire life. And I met Andrea Johnston almost exactly a year ago, a little over a year ago. I'll never forget it. She came to me through a mutual connection, shout out to Stephanie Carton, the founder of Entrepreneista. And Andrea had on a journey after she had sold her business, which she's going to talk about today, going into consulting, working for herself with a deep, burning, yearning vision to do something bigger, do something on purpose, do something that was really in service of the female entrepreneurial ecosystem. And she knew that she needed to put herself out there, she needed to build a personal brand for herself. And this is something that I have obviously seen for, I don't know, going on a decade now, working in the personal branding space, that there are so many prolifically brilliant people, especially women, who have dedicated their entire career, decades, to doing the thing that they're brilliant at and never, ever shared the story, never made a point to or had the time to, or the wherewithal to. To amplify themselves. It just wasn't in the playbook. And of course, there's a ton of fear and resistance and insecurity that can come up. And this is for every, everybody, including me, by the way. When it comes to putting yourself out there and being seen in the light, you want to do it with authenticity, you want to do it with strategy, you want to do it in service. And so Andrea was looking for a partner to help her create that brand. We got connected through Steph, and we started working together. She became my client, and over the last year, she's become a soul sister. And her extremely needed, innovative brand, new brand and business just launched a few months ago called Fuel for Female Founders. And I'd like to say that I played, you know, a role in that. She'll. She'd give me way more credit than I'd give myself. I. I definitely coached Andrea through the process of birthing the brand, crafting the strategy, getting clear on all of the different things that she's doing with Fuel for Female Founders, which we're going to get into today. But it was really Andrea's vision and passion for helping women rise. Yes. And not just get a seat at the table, but to carve their own table and fill it with women who are helping each other rise. It is very rare that you meet somebody who has the level of ferocity in business, like, whose acumen and expertise is just at a completely different level than most, who also possesses heart and empathy and Balance and humanity and a realness that takes away any sort of intimidation that one might have with people who are really successful in their lives. And Andrea really taught me how to be both even more. That you don't have to sacrifice your serenity for success. That you can still be a badass female founder or corporate executive and still be there for all the moments that matter for your kids. She taught me what it looks like to lead from integrity and honesty without sacrificing your values, while also always being kind and in the highest, highest service of the people around you. She is one of a kind, the real deal. And I am so grateful that she came to Nashville to be on my podcast so that I could share her with all of you. She's one of the most prolific women I've ever met. Just to give you a little background on Andrea, she's a seasoned communications professional and an entrepreneur. She has over 30 years of experience in life science, communication, investor relations, branding, and business strategy. She is now effectively the founder of Fuel for Female Founders, a platform dedicated to empowering women in business with expert guidance, leadership positioning, and peer support. Now, she's best known for founding Pure Communications, which she's going to talk about. In 2004, she grew it from a one woman show to a top integrated marketing partner for biotech and pharma companies. Okay. Like I'm saying, she's at a whole other level. And after it was acquired by Mountain gate Capital and W2O Group in 2016, Andrea led communications for the combined entity in all of North America, overseeing $150 million in revenue and a 600 person team, and played a key role in getting that company to sell. Okay. If you're gonna learn the true business strategies around growth and scale and not just what it takes, but who you need to be to really do it, it's Andrea Johnston. And now she is dedicating her entire life's work to paying it forward to women just like you and me, regardless of industry, regardless of stage of growth, so that we can all break through glass ceilings. They don't even exist in Andrea's world, and at least not anymore. And to really create the businesses that fuel us as a collective of women building businesses on our terms that the world needs. And so it is my great honor, it is my deep privilege and true excitement to welcome Andrea Johnston onto the Spiritual Hustler podcast. Welcome to the Spiritual Hustler podcast, Andrea.
- [08:47]
B
Thank you, Jessica. It's so exciting to be here, truly.
- [08:50]
A
We're going to unpack a lot of things. Because when it comes to female entrepreneurship and female leadership and starting something from nothing, I really don't think that there's a better walking example than you. Honestly, I've taken notes after the last year, the way you. You do business and your heart for female entrepreneurs. Before we go into your story, before we unpack all of the different strategies and the ways you approach supporting women and how you lead your own business, I have my first question for you that I ask every guest, which is, what are you spiritually hustling for right now?
- [09:25]
B
Andrea, I am spiritually hustling for equality and representation, specifically for women.
- [09:34]
A
But as a whole, yeah, everything you do is so mission driven. And we're going to talk about fuel for female founders and everything that you're up to today, because I know my audience can be so served by this mission that you're on. But I want to go back to Pure because I just think that your seedling beginnings and how it manifested into what it did proves that anything is possible. So can we go back to your spare bedroom?
- [10:08]
B
Yes, we can. Yes. Yeah. I had been in corporate and had just had my second child, my daughter. And I was in a really toxic environment in that corporate setting. Um, I won't get into a ton of detail other than to say when the FBI shows up at your house, oh, my God. Looking for information about your company, you're a little bit like, maybe I should go. Best place to work. Um, so I decided not to return. And I was actually trying to decide if I was going to start a day spa or a PR firm. And I knew no matter what it was going to be called, Pure. Either Pure day Spa or Pure Communications. And then I realized I have the skills and capability to do a PR firm. I like being a client at a day spa, but I don't really have the necessary skills. But my daughter was literally 8 weeks old when I filed for my LLC.
- [11:01]
A
Wow.
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B
And started Pure Communications. We had a nursery that had. I'd had a mural done with a Robert Louis Stevenson poem, and that was the room that I started the business in. And, you know, it was kind of, I think, classic startup where I just reached out to anyone and everyone I knew and said, I'm hanging out my own shingle. I'm looking for work in communications. I'm willing to kind of take on anything. And fortunately, my network showed up for me. So I started with a woman who I had worked with in an HR role. She had just started as the head of HR for a big wireless company that was bringing like 3,000 jobs to my community. And she was like, would you lead the PR effort for the opening of this call center? And I was like, sure. Wow.
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A
And it was just you at this time?
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B
Just me. And I hired an intern, as many entrepreneurs do, the first one to come in as an intern. And she was incredible. She actually only recently left the company that we ultimately sold into, but that's another story.
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A
That's crazy.
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B
Yeah, I mean, she was incredible. And she was one of those people who is a hard worker willing to kind of jump in anywhere. And I had a couple of sort of friends who could give me 10 hours here or 15 hours there, and we just kind of cobbled it together and made it happen. You know, most of my career had been in pharma, biotech, life sciences. So I did wireless. I did a jewelry store. I had these kind of random early assignments, but it gave me the confidence and some of the financial bandwidth to then go pursue what I really wanted to be doing, which was healthcare.
- [12:40]
A
So you cobbled together after how many years? About how many years did it take you to reach? Because you scaled it. You bootstrapped it with no outside funding.
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B
Correct.
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A
I want to share some.
- [12:50]
B
In 16 months, I had broken into Life Sciences in a meaningful way. And again, thanks to my network, I got a couple of really exciting client opportunities from friends of mine who I had stayed in close touch with, who personally were big mentors of mine. One of them, she had started an agency a few years before, and she basically was like, I want to give you work. 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. Yeah. I was so fortunate to have her in my corner. Still do.
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A
That's. That's the power of sisterhood.
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B
Yes.
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A
So you bootstrapped this business to 12 million? Yes. And then someone came knocking.
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B
Well, someone had come knocking, you know, for a few years, I would say three to four years before. And I just was not interested in selling. And then my husband, you know, had joined the business a few years into it to take over the back office, all the finance, hr, the op stuff. And I'm sure you can relate to this. It became everything we talked about. It be came every aspect of our life. We'd go on vacation, and either one or both of us would be getting calls. Can't relate at all.
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A
That's. Yep. That's real.
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B
Yes. And I think it just got to a point where we realized we had so much momentum, so much more growth opportunity at hand, but if we were to continue to do this as a married couple, we may no longer be married.
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A
Right.
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B
And so we were like, all right, do we take, you know, some more scaling in terms of hiring some other people? Do we go acquire something? And it was actually a very good friend of my husband's in private equity who said, you guys are at that perfect sweet spot to look at selling the business and continuing on with someone's platform. I would highly encourage you to hire a team and go out on the road and see what happens. So we did. We went through a process. Turned out to be the best possible decision we could have made. Ironically, I ended up on the platform of the person who'd been knocking on my door for several years in a row. But. But he had just taken private equity money literally six months before, and we were the first add on to his platform. We went on to acquire two other companies in rapid succession after acquiring mine, and we got to all build together, and that was pretty special.
- [15:09]
A
And you built it to what?
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B
We built IT to over 200 million. I was running about 150 million in revenue at the point where we sold the second time to a larger private equity partner. But it was at that point, a very different multifaceted business. And it had been so exciting to really build and scale it to that place and to work with these incredibly talented business owners who had similarly, you know, been growing their businesses. And then we got to sit around a table and grow and build something together.
- [15:41]
A
Thank you for going there and sharing all of that. I know that's the CliffsNotes version of it all, but it's so meaningful to share your story to the women that are listening to my show that have big dreams and big ambitions and are starting their baby business out of their spare bedroom or corner office in their kitchen, cobblestoning a team, cobblestone in clients. And that you went from starting your own thing to. To selling it and then selling it again. And $150 million joining the acquisition team that helped that company that you were part of by other companies, while never losing your authenticity and your integrity. I just think that there's. There was a point in my career where I would have looked at someone like you and been like, oh, she's so untouchable. Like, she's so much smarter than me. It. I really want to demystify, like, the. The projection field around women who really, like, reach a level of success. And. And that it's. That it's possible.
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B
I would just like to say that, yes, it is possible. But I also want to be clear that I look back and I realize that there are times when I felt like I did not show up as my authentic self and where. At no fault of anyone else's, but decisions I made to shrink and to go along, to get along and to not use my voice. And I regret that. But I also learned from it. And so I think, like everything in life, it's a journey.
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A
Yes.
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B
And it's all about the lessons you learn and how that informs how you show up the next day and the day after that. And so I also want people to realize that if you feel like you at times 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.
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A
And you have an opportunity to do that every single day.
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B
Day, every day.
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A
1%. Yes. Like you say, I want to. On that note, go back to 2020, because you were on the road show, you were killing it. You were on airplanes every single week. And, you know, the whole world shut down. And if you don't mind sharing, you know, you ended up walking away to really take care of your body, to take care of your family.
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B
You.
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A
You had sort of a come to Jesus crossroads moment of saying, this is not. No matter how successful, this is how I want to live. So can you take us into that moment, like what your life looked like at that precipice?
- [18:18]
B
Sure. So we sold to the second private equity firm in 2019, and we had been on the road for, I would say, seven to nine months with that deal. We had a ton of interest in the company. We had a great story to tell, but we literally were in New York for three or four days, and then we'd be going to Chicago or to San Francisco. And so I also. My life choice is to live in a market where we don't have a lot of direct flights. So for me, that meant connecting sometimes two or three times, sometimes leaving on a Sunday night and not getting back until a Friday night. And it, you know, on top of running a business the size that I was running and the client requirements and the team requirements, plus we were in the middle of still doing due diligence on potential M and A that we would do if we sold to a bigger private equity firm. So there were just a lot of things going on at that same time. Both of my kids, my son was in high school and my daughter was entering high school, and there was talk that my son maybe was going to go to boarding school, and that was actually near to New York City. So I was like, oh, well, if he goes to that boarding school, I get to spend more time because I'll be in New York more. Because we're gonna partner with this private equity firm that's in New York. And they really wanted all of us to show up more in New York City. So, you know the stories you tell yourself, oh, well, then this will work out great. So he went, I think it was eight weeks into it, he calls and he's like, oh, I made a big mistake, Mom. I'm really unhappy. I miss North Carolina, miss my school.
- [19:52]
A
Like, I can feel that.
- [19:54]
B
I was like, yeah, I miss him. And I missed my daughter and my husband. And it was like a real aha moment. And then people on my team know this, but a couple weeks after that, a woman who had worked for me for many years passed away. She had epilepsy and she had had an epileptic seizure. And it was very traumatic. And it was also like one of those really big wake up calls. And I do feel like the universe sends you a lot of signs and it's up to you to listen and to recognize. And so, you know, those things, plus other dynamics that were happening in our family life, I was like, you know what? I need to reprioritize and focus on family. And so I went to my boss and my colleague and I said, I am going to resign. And, you know, I need to take this time. And here are the reasons. And, you know, it was so funny because at first our CEO was like, well, can you just take a sabbatical? Like six weeks off, no email, nothing. You know, you'll. You'll feel so much better. Like, I'm like, I really wish this sabbatical would solve my problems, but I really need to take a break. Like, I had gained 50 pounds in the course of 18 months. I had all this stuff happening at home, and I just felt like I needed to reset. And so I agreed to stay on until March of 2020.
- [21:19]
A
Wow.
- [21:20]
B
I left. I think it was March 2nd or.
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A
3Rd was wild timing.
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B
And then I went on a college tour with my kids to go see all these colleges. And we had to leave midway through the college tour because it was like, oh, Amtrak is shutting down in Philadelphia. And, oh, there's a talk that the airport might shut down in New York because Covid, you know, and everyone was like, thought it was going to Be a two or three week thing, and then next thing you know, thank God. I mean, I'm really grateful to whatever spiritual being was looking out for me because I didn't have to be in Zoom 24 7. I got to be fully present for my kids who were home from school during that period. I got to cook every meal. I got to take long walks outside. You know, it was just an incredible period. And as awful as Covid was, and it was awful for everyone, it was also this incredibly unique time to be in this bubble with my family.
- [22:20]
A
Right. Thank you for sharing that. You know, you, since that time, you know, have come to a place where you. I mean, you recalibrated your health, you got that space, and then you did decide to go back in as. As women like us will always do. Andrea? Yeah, we've got real big work to do on this planet. And what you're doing now with Fuel, I believe, is really what you came here to do. And you've created this beautiful platform and this beautiful model that I want you to really walk us through. But it is really a divine compilation of all of the things that you want women to really hold as far as their strategic leadership and their executive presence and their ability to effectively communicate and know their value and scale, to potentially sell or just scale and become real leaders in their feminine power, while not losing the plot of what really matters in life as far as balance, which I know you don't really believe in, which we'll talk about. But I have so many questions for you around, like your philosophy to life and business as you see it today. But let's start with. With Fuel and. And where that really came from. What was the impetus of the vision for it and what does it look like today? Because it's happened quite fast. It did.
- [23:54]
B
It didn't. It didn't. Right. Like, it's been in my head for a long time, largely because both when I sold my business pure and then when we were selling into the next level private equity firm, what I kept finding was I was the one or one of two or three women at a table filled with 15 to 20 men. And in particular, when I was selling my business, it was very lonely. Like, I think there are incredible men who have so many insights and are such good partners, but at the end of the day, they don't fully understand the shoes we walk in and the many roles and hats that we have to wear and how that affects our decision making and how we contemplate something as significant as selling a business that is also your life. So I just felt like I would have loved to have had a mentor or a resource or a professional advisor who was a woman who had been on that journey, who could have guided me and given me more of that peer to peer connection. Yeah. And it just wasn't something I saw. And you compound that with the fact that most of the strategic buyers and private equity buyers were largely male. And so there's, you know, a lot of power dynamics and other things at the table. And it would have been great to have someone who could prep me for that and get my sort of head ready for what those negotiations and dialogue.
- [25:28]
A
Right.
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B
So that was really kind of what informed my thinking. Like, hey, there's this real gap. I feel like I learned so much. And I had the fortunate experience where a woman I knew in the industry was thinking about selling her business and she called me and she was like, hey, everyone says you could give me great advice on this. And we had a really good conversation. I ended up networking her to a few people. You know, long and short of it is she sold her business and it was fantastic. And then I had a similar experience with another friend and I realized, hey, you know, I'm actually good at this. I actually understand what this looks like. And moreover, I have built multiple businesses, not only my own, but when I was working for a division of Omnicom and when I worked for a firm that ultimately sold to ipg, I helped them build practices. I understand how agencies work and now I understand how they sell. I would love to do this and focus on this for women founders and help them maximize the opportunity to create wealth, whatever that looks like for them. It could be non financial and make sure that they're getting the most out of the advice and the counsel.
- [26:38]
A
And you're doing that in a beautiful multitude of ways. And I want to unpack fuel, but I really, before we unpack the model, because I think it's so brilliant. And there's all these different ways that you serve lots of different entrepreneurs at different stages across industry, but you, you bring your Andrea Johnston flavor to everything you do. And you have this phrase, and I kind of want to go through some of what I would call your methodology, like your technology and the way you do business as a woman, and the way that you lead and the way that you guide. And you have a phrase that I love where you say you get what you tolerate. Can you explain what you mean by that?
- [27:21]
B
Yeah, I mean, I think it's like a great phrase for life and it's something that someone I respect a lot used to say. And at the end of the day, we all get what we tolerate. Meaning if you tolerate a certain behavior, a certain attitude, a certain performance level, that's what you're gonna get. If you don't set an expectation for more or different, then how can you expect that anything will change? So while it's not always favorably received, I believe in setting expectations and creating accountability. Because you get what you tolerate.
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A
You do, you get what you tolerate in every aspect of life.
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B
Every aspect.
- [27:59]
A
And it's one of those things that you're not that conscious of. Like if you really look at what you're tolerating across your life, not just your business, I think it's a beautiful phrase as a tool to acknowledge where you can empower yourself with more sovereignty, clarity, communication, embodiment, conviction, which are all beautiful, necessary tools that we need as women in business especially you also have, and I love this, the, the 25 rule that changed your life that I think every woman needs to hear because it's, it's, this is a deep one in my view. It's, it's bigger than what you think it is. It's not just an external move, it's an internal job. So what does that mean to you?
- [28:47]
B
It's really like if I could pay somebody $25 to do a task that takes it off my plate and makes room for me to do what I do at my billing rate, then that to me is a no brainer. So whether it's outsourcing things like grocery shopping or laundry or you know, the yard maintenance, whatever it is, I have to look at things from that standpoint. And I really think of it as scaling your life. You know, it's making an investment in the things that matter so that you have more capacity to go to your kids tennis matches or soccer games or to open more capacity to take on that added client, you know, however you want to prioritize your time. But some of these tasks, number one, there's people who are better at it. Number two, it's just an efficiency and a trade off.
- [29:35]
A
Yes. Have you ever read the book the Big Leap by Gay Hendricks?
- [29:39]
B
No.
- [29:39]
A
Oh my God, you have to read this book. But it's basically he talks about the four areas of competence. There's incompetence, like things that you're horrible at, things that you're competent at, which are things you're, you could do but you're not great at and you don't enjoy doing. Then there's your Level of excellence, which is something that you're extremely good at doing. You're, you're excellent at that particular craft or talent or gift, but it's not necessarily your biggest passion. And then there's your area of genius and that's really where you thrive. And you're in the most alignment for the. Isn't that amazing? And you're in your area of genius with fuel, for sure. But what I want to encourage women listening. It's like we think that we have to do it all. And in really looking at it through that framework, like anything that you're incompetent doing, you shouldn't be doing, you should outsource. I suck at laundry. I suck at cleaning. Like I, I have a cleaning crew that comes once a week at brass tacks basic level. But we really have to I, for me, this piece of advice, and I've seen you write about it and you've talked about it before, has a lot to do with deservingness. Like I struggled personally, like really receiving support and having, you know, an assistant to support me or a team around me. And we get there as female entrepreneurs because we have to, like by necessity, we have to build a team that supports us. But what you're talking about is looking at your life more holistically and asking for support wherever you need it and letting go, because I'm speaking for a friend, letting go of any of the resistance or shame or like self sufficient self indulgence that you're being high maintenance. Like all of those stories, I think have been programmed in us as women.
- [31:21]
B
You're 100% right. And your very good friend Stephanie Hand, I think portrays this so well in the way she captures the fact that men are so comfortable with help, whether it's the EA or the work wife, someone who is attending to all the things so that they can show up as the CEO or the senior executive. But for some reason we as women feel like we have to apologize for asking for that help. And it is a societal conditioning thing. But we have to start changing that narrative because nobody can be all things to all people. And if you keep setting that standard for yourself, you're going to end up like I did and like you did, burnt out and needing to take a break. And I think that especially today where there are so many incredible ways to outsource those tasks that others are better at than us, why wouldn't you take advantage of it?
- [32:15]
A
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Many of you in my community know that I have been on a long journey building my custom home. And when it came down to furnishing my bedrooms and particularly my bedding, there was only one brand that I was going to and that is Cozy Earth. Now, these days I crave comfort. Like every one of us that feels intentional. I'm talking soul soothing. Because after I'm spiritually hustling all day long, you guys, I want my 5 to 9 the that matter the most to be the most luxurious part of my day. And that's exactly what Cozy Earth does. It transforms my evenings into sacred sanctuary. Now, I have a big confession. I'm also obsessed with their bamboo pajama set. It's buttery, soft, it drapes like a dream and somehow sleeps cooler than cotton. I like to pair it with their plush and textured bubble cuddle blanket. It's the perfect combo for curling up with my husband and my dogs after a long day. As the CEO that I am. And here's what I love the most. Cozy Earth doesn't just feel good during the holidays. Although they would make an incredible holiday gift, they are part of my daily ritual. These are the things that I reach for again and again. Because Cozy Earth reminds me when I touch it, when I smell it, when I feel it, what he feels like. And that, as a busy female entrepreneur, is priceless. They even offer a 100 night sleep trial. So if you don't love them, you can return them hassle free. But trust me, you won't want to. You'll actually want to stay in bed all day long because they're that amazing. Cozy Earth's Black Friday sale is already here, so use my Code Jessica Z for 40% off. You heard that, right? Use my Code Jessica Z for 40% off. These deals are not going to last long, so start your holiday shopping today and if you get a post purchase survey, tell them you heard about Cozy Earth right here on the Spiritual hustler podcast. Visit cozy earth.com and use code Jessica Z at checkout and wrap the ones you love, including yourself in luxury. All right, you guys, we're going to talk about one of my favorite topics, which is clothes. Now listen, hear me out when I say this. Your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. Okay, sit with that for a second and let's talk about my sister, Tally Kogan. All right, many of you know who she is. She's been my stylist for over 10 years. But she is not just a stylist. She is an activation. A fashion alchemist and true soul whisperer. Tali helps women from across the country embody their next level. Yes, through style, activating the manifesting power of what you wear and how you feel every single day when you walk out of your closet. Whether you're stepping into a rebrand, launching your next big offer, or are simply tired of hiding behind the same three comfortable outfits. Okay, she is the woman that you call. I've worked with Tali for over a decade, and she is the magic behind my signature style. I never go to an event, host a retreat, do a brand shoot without consulting with her. And she has not just changed how I dress, she's changed how I see myself. It's impacted not just my confidence and my energy, which is true, but my entire business. Her signature two day experience is called Calling Forth the Queen, which is a luxurious soul LED styling and photo shoot journey for the woman who is ready not just for a new wardrobe, but for an entirely new identity. You'll leave with countless styled looks for speaking engagements, podcast interviews, travel and everyday Life. Plus over 100 stunning high end editorial brand photos to use across your platform. And yes, I said 100. If you've been feeling the nudge to elevate your brand, your identity, your entire life, babe, this is your sign. Head to tallykogan.com to book your transformational session right now because as Tali often says, you can have anything you want in life if you dress for it. It's true. Mention Jessica when you book your Calling Forth the Queen session and receive your own crown, a complimentary Melcari jewelry stack of three pieces styled just for you, valued at over $750. Yep. When you mention the word Jessica when you book your Calling Forth the Queen session, you're going to receive $750 of Malkari jewelry just because you came from my community. So head to tallykogan.com today and step forth into your inner queen. And it starts with being really. I think what you just nailed is like receiving support is a muscle that women are so underutilizing. And I went out to dinner last night with a friend and she was telling me she was with her friend at a hotel, they were staying together and she ordered Ubereats. Her friend. And the Uber, the front desk calls and is like the Uber eats here guys here. Should he bring it up or do you want to come down? She's like oh no, no, I'll come down. I'll. Don't worry about it, I'll come down. And that like micro moment, she could be like no, you can bring it up to me. Like where in your life are you displacing like receiving? Because it happens in I think a lot of unconscious ways for a lot of us. And it's, it's just, I think a flex that if you can bring into your life it makes you just a more empowered leader. And that's really what your work is, is helping women really rise into on a multi dimensional level so you get what you tolerate. True 25 rule. Let's outsource.
- [40:44]
B
Which now is probably like $50 for an economic environment.
- [40:48]
A
75. But it's worth it because your time is exactly, your time is invaluable most precious resource. And you can work towards, you know, ex. Exporting and hiring support as you scale and as you step more and more into your comfort, more than anything and trusting that you can afford it and that people can, that you deserve it. One of the things that I really love about what you, you bring to your, your work. And like we're going to talk about women, I want you to know, but there is stereotype, there's like a assumption that like, like culture and like women bring, you know, good energy and, and the importance of culture. And I think this is broad reaching, not just in women, women owned businesses. I think it's important everywhere that culture isn't seen as, as a vibe, but is really seen as a strategy. And I think one of the biggest flexes that I had to come into as an entrepreneur was really understanding how to build an organization and be a leader and how culture was the foundation and the bedrock to how I scaled. I, I learned that early on from some of my mentors and I saw it in practice and I've talked about it on the show before. But I would love for you to, as someone that has scaled her own business and has helped so many others scale theirs, what it is about culture and people that women entrepreneurs need to be thinking about right now, regardless of stage, when it comes to their cultural strategy.
- [42:21]
B
I love everything that you just said because culture is absolutely a strategy and it is something that comes from intent, not happenstance. So I think it is really important to also think about what is the culture you want, because culture doesn't mean just one thing for me. At Pure. It was building a place that had a collegial, familial sort of undertone to it, where people felt closely connected. Keep in mind that I was building Pure back in 04 up to, you know, 2019 when we sold to the second private equity firm. Pure was always part of it. But the reality was we were a virtual agency even back then. So this is, well, pre Covid.
- [43:06]
A
Wow.
- [43:06]
B
The majority of my senior team and many of our team members in general lived outside of North Carolina. We had people in California, Boston. We had an office in North Carolina, an office in Boston. And we didn't care where you lived. We only cared that you were good at what you did. And it took a lot of intention to create culture in a virtual agency back then because we didn't have all the tools that we enjoy today. And so one of the things that I believed was worth every penny was we did two team meetings a year where we flew everybody to one location. And this wasn't, you know, any location. These were things like Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, which is like a top 10 Auberge resort. We would go to the Umsted in North Carolina. We went to New York City. We did a Vegas trip, and we would go for like three days, four days. We would have sessions where it was like, ongoing learning and professional development. We flew clients in to speak and to be part of the event, we would do incredible dinners. That was always a hallmark, because I believe, as an Italian that, you know, food is still a centerpiece to everything. But it was really like a big part of our culture were these times where we came together and we shared, you know, life and work together. I also believed that throughout the year, if we were going on site for a client meeting, let's bring the whole team and let's make sure we add on a dinner the night before just for our team so that we get that extra bonding time. Well, if we were going to a big conference, like a banking conference or an industry conference, again, like, if we have five or six people from the team, how do we add in some team time? And I've just always felt that that is so important because you cannot replace personal connection.
- [44:55]
A
No.
- [44:56]
B
And to me, culture is largely developed in those moments when you are together 100%, and that then feeds into how you deal with each other electronically.
- [45:05]
A
And how big was your team before you sold?
- [45:08]
B
We were at about 32 people.
- [45:11]
A
Wow. We scaled simply be to about 30 people. And I. I just. I say this for those listening that maybe don't have a big team quite yet. There's no soon, too soon of a time to begin this. Like, I had Alexa, my. My first employee, and we would do team building things every quarter, just the two of us. And then I grew to, like, an intern and then a contractor. And then we would do off sites every quarter and there'd be four of us. And I really felt like that was the secret sauce to my success because I built real relationship and connection and poured into my people as humans. And I had values. Like, I just named the core values of my business. And we didn't just talk them, we walked them. We lived them. We made them a central part. And I just think that there is no better freaking experience in life as an entrepreneur than building a team.
- [46:02]
B
I couldn't agree with you more. It's. It's sometimes the most challenging.
- [46:05]
A
It's 100% the most challenging, but it's.
- [46:07]
B
Also the most rewarding. And Even now, building fuel. You know, I've told you this. Isabelle on my team, she was my first hire and she started part time and now she's full time. But we met at recess, which is a spin studio. And we both are super passionate about that experience and that community. And so we've been trying to at least once a week go to a class together so that we can keep that. And I think even that speaks to culture and kind of keeping that connection. So it's not just the work, but it's rooted in something that is meaningful to both of us.
- [46:39]
A
So beautiful. It's, that's so good. And I should go to spin classes with my team now. I'm inspired, Seriously.
- [46:46]
B
Especially if you can go to them with Bevin Prince, because she is the most amazing spin instructor in the face of the earth.
- [46:50]
A
But that's a great segue actually into one of my next questions because I, you know, you're so people forward. I mean, you've built your whole career and book of business on relationships, as I think we all do, but you have really taken fuel, which is this beautiful platform and service based business to help women scale, rise, sell, exit, every stage of the way. But you've really built it as a community forward, brand and movement. And you launched a series that was just this, like I was with you, this idea that I want to spotlight Women on, on LinkedIn and I'm going to call it Women I want you to know. And it has become. So I want you to, I want you to actually express what Women I want you to know is now what it means to you and how it has grown into something so much more than a LinkedIn blog.
- [47:46]
B
Well, before I get into that, I have to thank you because as we have talked about, I am not a digital native. I built a business back before social media existed and you challenged me to think about what I could do and how I could show up online in something that would be uniquely me. And that is what gave birth to Women I want you to know. So I am so grateful to you for prompting me and pushing me to really think through what would be a fulfilling and meaningful way to be online. Because it isn't my comfort zone. And so Women I want you to know has really become about celebrating the women who are shattering glass ceilings, who are really creating meaningful careers, often in male dominated industries, women who are founding nonprofits and creating movements to make an impact in communities or in segments of the population. And I'm trying really hard to identify women who may not otherwise get A lot of celebration, but are doing these incredible things. I mean, not to take anything away from the Kardashians or Reese Witherspoon, but there's a lot of celebrity level people who get celebrated all the time. And there's a lot of women just doing the work and having huge impact. And so it's amazing to be able to share them their story, you know, what they're doing with this community on LinkedIn. Because we, you know, we deserve more celebration as women. And I want that. And it shouldn't be just limited to celebrity focused female executives and entrepreneurs.
- [49:17]
A
Okay. I just want to double click into this because I love what you just said and I think it has so many layers. First by, you know, thank you for that reflection and me helping you identify, like, what your thing was. Because there's a lot of people that haven't spent majority of their careers on social media and then get on to this stage in the game and it's like, well, what do I do with my hands? Like, what do you know? What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to show up and be myself and be seen? And it's like, brings up a lot. And what is so beautiful about what you did with this series and what you've done with your entire platform? Is you really connected to your. Why it was so. Yes, I reflected that, but you did the work and you dug deep and you found something that felt so in service versus it being an ego play, which I say personal branding gets a bad rap because it's like, look at me. But Ev, I. I saw something on Instagram recently, like, no one gets mad at Adidas for, like sending a newsletter about shoes. Like, we're all trying to sell something. You know, we're all trying to, like, move something forward. And so in today's world, we have an advantage with social media to use our humanity as our strategy. And the key is, I think the real unlock is how can you show up as yourself, use your voice, show your face in service of the people that read your content, make it about them. And what you did is you. You quantum leaped that by making it about all of these women. Using your personal network, using your personal platform to amplify women. I want you to know, and it's become a real movement. It's become a podcast, it's become. It's become a dinner series. And these women, I watch it on LinkedIn and shout out to LinkedIn because everyone, you know, pick your poison. But LinkedIn is so powerful. It's such an incredible channel to play with and opportunity to grow, Thought, leadership, but, like, true relationship. And I see the comments that are happening in these posts and other women that don't even know the women you're posting and are celebrating them and following them and thanking you for sharing them, and you've really taken a very simple why, and you've made it mean something to thousands of people.
- [51:35]
B
Well, thank you. I appreciate that. And I'm so. I mean, honestly, I'm blown away by the response and the engagement and the impact. And I. You know, I think the measure of success for me was when I started getting DMS from men in my network who wanted to recommend women.
- [51:51]
A
Wow. I think I remember that fluctuation.
- [51:53]
B
That's been, like, incredible. And I'm like, all right, this is working. Yeah. Like, people are seeing this and they get it, and they want to recognize other women for what they're doing.
- [52:01]
A
Yes.
- [52:02]
B
I mean, yeah, that's what it's all about.
- [52:03]
A
You know, this. This goes back to culture. I don't know if I ever told you this story, but I had. I had. I used to do a meeting when my team was small. When we got to 30 people, we couldn't do this anymore because it would take all day. But we would do something called the Core Values Roundtable. And it was like, when we were, like, 7 to 10, we were really boutique and young, but we would go around every Friday at the end of the week in the conference room, and we would go one at a time and acknowledge everyone else for living a core value.
- [52:31]
B
Oh, I love that.
- [52:32]
A
Yeah. It was, like, really recognizing other teams. So, like, Andrew, you were bold this week when you shared that idea in front of the client. And we never would have expected that from you. And the client loved it. Or, you know, Maya, you were extraordinary this week by, you know, reaching out to Ingrid and asking her if she needed support for this project, whatever it was. And I remember telling this to a guy that I did this, like a. Like, a friend of mine. He was like, so basically, you just, like, sit around the table and compliment one another for an hour? And I was like, precisely. And there is such. And I built a beautiful culture. And a lot of those people stayed with me for a long time. And when they did leave, they would, like, say to me there was no place, like, I've simply be. Like, I'd never worked at a company like this. And what I really want to pull out here. And it's how you do business, and it's how I do business, and I Think it's why we've connected so well. And I know my audience resonates with this. Like your best strategy, aside from being yourself, is being yourself from the heart. Like, you really lead from genuine love and celebration for lifting other people up, helping other people.
- [53:40]
B
And I think I do that more now than I even did before. And, you know, I appreciate what you do and the message you bring forward to women about living and working in alignment with our true selves. Because I think, and I've shared this with you before, I'm in my 50s. I was coming up the corporate ladder at a time when we were taught that it was scarcity for women and we were basically all in competition with each other. And the more they set up that competitive tension, in some ways it was better for them. And I think that we could have shown up, I could have shown up differently in different periods. And that's part of the narrative I want to change. Because you're exactly right. When we are living in alignment with our authentic selves, when I am able to celebrate these other women and champion what they're doing and network one woman to another woman in order to further her career or further the fundraising she's doing for her venture fund, like that brings me so much joy. I don't need a damn thing out of it. I just want them to be successful. And if they can come back in three months and say, this had a huge impact, thank you. That is, that's all I need to know that it was worthwhile.
- [54:52]
A
And that is an abundance mindset that actually does, I believe, open up even more opportunity. Like when you throw a opportunity over the net with that intention, with real. I just want you to win it, it boomerangs back to you in some shape or form, energetically in relationship, in upper people. Don't forget when you celebrate and show up, like, I certainly don't. It's like a rule of thumb. Anyone who's ever shown up, for me, it's. It's about reciprocity. It's not about transaction, which I really believe is a feminine code. It's reciprocity. It's like the foundation of this planet. And when you really do come from that place, trust me when I say this, and I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the people who are listening, because I know you walk this, your business grows, you make more money, you have more opportunities. When you operate in the spirit of generosity with no expectation return, which is different than reciprocity, actually, because opportunities work, I believe in the Quantum field, and it's an infinity loop, and the law of circulation is real. And if you really run your business with that frequency and that level of, like, pure, clean, energetic, like, I just want everyone to win, because when you rise, I rise, and we rise, and there's enough for all of us. That, to me, that is the kind of world that I show up every day to build. And you have built an entire model with fuel for female founders, in my view, based on that frequency.
- [56:23]
B
Well, I appreciate that. And I, again, I really think that I give you so much credit because both through your books, in particular, the light work, as well as through what you do from a coaching and what you do from a speaking standpoint, you live it, and I think you inspire the rest of us to try to meet you at that level. But I think your knowledge of how to operate at that feminine frequency, you know, is part of a lesson I keep learning every day. It is, again, not something that I sort of grew up with, so it's constantly challenging myself to stay in that lane.
- [57:00]
A
Yeah. Wow. Well, thank you for that. I don't know if I've ever told you this, but when you first came to me, I. I was. I was like, holy shit, she's such a big deal. I'm. I'm nervous. I was like, no, I always, you know, you want to. You want to deliver, you want to, like, you know, make sure. But, like, you saw me and I saw you, and you continue to impress me every day, and I. I cannot say enough incredible things about fuel. And we'll leave a link in the show notes for women to go. Absolutely. Explore all the ways that they can get your support and join your community and be a part of the women the world needs to know. As if you couldn't be any more impressive. Andrea, you're climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Correct. In how many months? In February? February. So before I just want to end here because it's so metaphorical to the woman that you are, like, literally climbing the next mountain. Why did you decide to do this? What is your vision for what. What this journey is going to do for you and what you really want it to be for the women that follow this journey.
- [58:08]
B
So it's so interesting, right, because there is this kind of legendary, in my opinion, biotech reporter named Luke Timmerman. And he, out of truly the goodness of his heart, several years ago, started these Timmerman traverses to raise money for charity and for cancer research. So he is a mountaineer, and he's really passionate about climbing, mind you. He has a day job. He has his own newsletter and publication and podcast. But he plans these traverses, builds a team of people who can raise money to support these charities. And I had the privilege of being asked to do the one in August in the Pacific Northwest to benefit life science cares. How many times as adults do we get to go to summer camp? Never. So picture going to a cabin in the woods in the Pacific Northwest, having a roommate, sharing a bathroom with five other grown adults, not knowing a single other person in this group of people, and spending, you know, three nights basically eating all of your meals together and climbing together. And that was, you know, just 20 miles over two days. So Kilimanjaro, is that on steroids?
- [59:19]
A
I mean, yes, it is.
- [59:20]
B
But my roommate in the Pacific Northwest, she did Kilimanjaro last year, and she was like, andrea, you strike me as someone who, like, really loves personal growth and challenging yourself. Like, you would love this experience because it is next level. And after my journey to lose weight and get healthy because really losing weight for me was about getting fit again and being able to be the athlete that I like to be. This kind of hiking really forces me to prioritize again, fitness and health. And I'm a very goal oriented person. So knowing that Kilimanjaro is coming in February, I'm being extra disciplined about my workouts. Was it Barry's this morning here in Nashville?
- [60:00]
A
Oh, are you?
- [60:01]
B
I had so much fun.
- [60:02]
A
That's motivation right there.
- [60:04]
B
But I have to, like, you know, I have to plan it, plan it and be intentional. And so one of the reasons why I'm doing this is to really force myself to push myself out of my comfort zone to the next level. I don't love new social experiences where I'm surrounded by people I don't know is really hard for me to do the Pacific Northwest. But when I'm in it, I love it because getting out of my comfort zone, I. There is something really awesome and fulfilling about it. And so, again, Kilimanjaro, I don't know the other people on the team. I've only met them over Zoom. So spending seven days climbing 20,000ft in elevation is going to be like a whole different experience. And I know firsthand from the people who've done it before, who I've spoken to that it wreaks absolute havoc on your body. The altitude, the, you know, limited oxygen. You can't fully prepare in any scenario for how it might affect your GI system or getting vertigo and dizziness. And a lot of other things. So you really get stripped down to what is raw and what is real. But I also think there's something incredibly human and sort of like regrounding about that.
- [61:15]
A
Absolutely.
- [61:16]
B
But it's also to raise money for Damon Runyon Cancer Research foundation, which is an incredible and important resource in this country that funds early stage research that has led to things like cancer immunotherapy, which has been game changing for cancer patients. It's run by a woman who I got to feature in Women I Want yout To Know. She's an incredible scientist herself and she has taken this organization and its grants to the next level. It was such an honor to speak with her and learn about her personal story. She lost her husband just a few years ago in his 50s, to a very rare sarcoma, a form of cancer. So she has actually lived this experience and she understands how important it is. Now we're looking at the NIH taking a 40% cut in their budget next year. Well, guess who? One of the biggest funders of cancer research is the nih. So if groups like Damon Runyon can't help fill in that gap, we could go 10, 20 years behind in these therapies that are so important. And as someone whose mother had breast cancer and was fortunate to have a good outcome, but also lost both my aunt and my uncle to cancers, not good outcomes, I feel like this is something that's personally really motivating and important for me. And if I can help spread the word and create awareness, then that's the other big part of this for me.
- [62:38]
A
And my work here is done. No, I'm just kidding. Like. Well, I mean, as you're talking, you know, every time I'm with you, it's always just such an upgrade. You are the kind of woman to follow into the fire because you will. You're willing to go first and you do it for back to the heart, for humanity and all of its shades. And when you told me about this, you know, I was like, this is the entrepreneur's journey. Like it is a mountain to climb. And everything you just said, like, you don't know the outcome. You, you. Things can happen. It gets harder as it gets higher.
- [63:20]
B
You know, you hope to summit, but you don't know because some things are going to be out of your control.
- [63:24]
A
Out of your control. You're deeply outside of your comfort zone.
- [63:27]
B
And you can train and you can have the best plan, but at the end of the day, the elements may have more control than you do.
- [63:33]
A
There you Go. And the fact that you keep stepping up to the mountain, I don't even think you climb the mountain. I think you move the mountain, Andrea. You do. You just are always surpassing the goal. And you show me every day what's possible and that there really are no limits. We're never really done growing, expanding, evolving, stepping into our next version and never losing the plot along the way of what we're really doing it for, which is to serve. And I just think what you're up to with Fuel is one of the most important female platforms to date. I think it's. I mean, you're. You're the mustard seed. Right now. It feels like we've conquered a lot, but it's just beginning. And I. I just cannot thank you enough for taking the journey you've taken, because I know it hasn't been easy, but what you're doing today is, I think, really what you've come here to do, which is to take other women with you so that they can rise. Maybe not easier, but slightly easier, because everyone's climbing their own mountain.
- [64:40]
B
Yeah.
- [64:41]
A
But you really have become such a beacon of empowerment and truth and fire.
- [64:47]
B
Thank you. I would say two things. One is this Timmerman traversed for Kilimanjaro. It's almost like a female. It's a female dominated team. It's mostly women, which is another big thing. But it is also a reminder, and I try to live this every day, and you help me discover this in the context of, you know, my personal brand work. And it's. I really do believe in limitless potential of us as individuals, especially of us as women. But we have to recognize that it's incumbent upon us to take the first action. And action is available to all of us. And in this world in particular, can feel overwhelming and can feel like we have no control and no influence. And maybe we don't on a national scale, but we absolutely can in our own backyard, in our own business, in our own community. So I would just say, like anyone who's listening, just remember there's always something you can do. There is always an action you can take. You just have to be willing to step into it and take that risk.
- [65:49]
A
Spiritually hustling in all ways, in all the ways you're changing the world. I really, you know, I had a really beautiful guest on my podcast a few weeks ago, and she's like, you reach. You change the lives of five people, and then they go change the lives of five people, and then that's 25 people. And then those 25 people go change the lives of their five people, and that becomes a hundred people. And she says, never underestimate your impact and the legacy you leave. But you're not going to leave it unless you take action. So.
- [66:17]
B
Well said.
- [66:18]
A
Yes. I have a few final quick fire questions.
- [66:22]
B
Okay.
- [66:23]
A
Okay.
- [66:23]
B
Bring it on.
- [66:24]
A
So do you have a favorite business book?
- [66:27]
B
You know, I actually really like Atomic Habits, James Clear. Well, it's not necessarily a business book.
- [66:33]
A
Totally.
- [66:33]
B
It is highly applicable to business.
- [66:35]
A
100%. I've never read it.
- [66:38]
B
It's so good.
- [66:38]
A
I know. It's on the New York Times bestseller list every week. Every week. It's like for. For years. That's how many people buy it and read it. Do you have a favorite spiritual book?
- [66:47]
B
I mean, the light work.
- [66:49]
A
I wasn't saying that to Tea.
- [66:51]
B
That. I'm not saying that. Just. But truly, I think your journey and the story you tell there is so powerful and so connected. No, it was. It's such a gift that you wrote that book.
- [67:05]
A
Thank you. I really received that. That book is one of the greatest things I've. It came through me like I birthed from a higher place. And I remember writing it and it was channeled and I was like, this is. This is my story, but it's not about me. It's for the woman that will read the story. So thank you for reflecting that prior.
- [67:22]
B
To reading that book. Kahil Gibran's the Prophet is probably beautiful there as well.
- [67:28]
A
Great. We have a Spiritual Hustler bookshelf, so we. We take all of these. Okay. We're on the Spiritual Hustler podcast, Andrea. So we're going to get a little woo. Bring it, Bring it. Okay. Do you have like a spirit guide or an angel or a specific goddess or ancestor or deity that you feel most connected to?
- [67:48]
B
I've always been a big fan of Athena.
- [67:50]
A
You have been?
- [67:52]
B
Yes.
- [67:53]
A
I love Athena. Tell me, why you? Why her?
- [67:56]
B
Because I think if there were ever a goddess who steps into her power and who owns it and manages to combine the masculine with the feminine, it is 100% Athena.
- [68:08]
A
She's a warrioress. She is. I'm writing a new book about. Well, I talk about her.
- [68:13]
B
Amazing.
- [68:14]
A
That's off. That's off camera. Okay. Do you believe in aliens? Yes or no?
- [68:18]
B
I actually don't have an answer to that because I'm not sure. Yeah, I think. Beautiful. Very possible. But I'm not sure. I'm 100% convinced.
- [68:25]
A
That's a very valid and fair answer. We don't really have evidence, I mean, maybe NASA, you know, but it's not been verified. I understand that. For me, it's obviously intuitive and what I've seen in my own visions, but that's my own experience, you know what I mean? So I love that answer. Final question, which isn't necessarily woo, but you know, you could take this however you want. What does it mean to you to be a co creator of the new Earth?
- [68:53]
B
Andrea, you know what, it's a tremendous amount of responsibility. Yes, it is. Especially as someone with two children. I take very seriously what we are co creating and what we are destroying. And I think it is important to look at both of those things because the future of this planet, the future of our world, the future of our society is all defined by how we show up today. And that is a big responsibility. And you can't just bury your head in the sand, you can't doesn't make anything change.
- [69:24]
A
That's why I ride with you, because we co create it in real time every day based on how you show up 100%.
- [69:34]
B
And I actually couldn't ask for a better person to co create with than you. Truly, it has been one of the most, if not the most, most impactful relationships and give and take that I have experienced in my professional life. And I feel like I've experienced a lot. So I appreciate the responsibility that you take and how you show up for all of us.
- [69:53]
A
Thank you. It is literally the biggest gift to know you and you've changed my life in equal measure. And I just, I'm so excited for you and all of the things that you're touching and reaching and the way that you just shift the room whenever you walk in it, whether it's on LinkedIn or in person or on a zoom call. And I know my community felt that today on this podcast. So thank you for being here and being in my life.
- [70:22]
B
Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's been awesome, incredible.