Strategy Hour Podcast | Episode 989

This Simple Strategy Could Double Your Leads
With Eleanor Beaton | September 23, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, host Abagail Pumphrey talks with Eleanor Beaton, founder of Safi Media and host of the Woman Owned Podcast, about strategies for organic business growth—particularly focusing on Eleanor’s Roundtable Method, which has the potential to double your leads. The discussion also covers the importance of financial empowerment for women, the pitfalls of hyper-independence, and actionable steps for leveraging collaboration and network-building in today’s challenging business landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins of Eleanor’s Mission: Financial Empowerment for Women

• Eleanor shares a formative memory from childhood about her mother’s financial dependence, which lit a fire for her focus on women scaling businesses.

  • Quote: “She turns to me in that moment and she says, ‘Eleanor, money is power. Always make your own.’ And that was like a really core memory for me.” (03:30)

• Abagail relates her drive for independence to growing up with financially struggling parents (06:04–08:15).

Feminism, Provider Roles, and the Reality of Independence

• Both women discuss the impact of shifting societal roles, the myth of the "Lone Ranger" woman, and the importance of allowing oneself to receive help in all areas of life:
  • Eleanor: “I think the feminist movement has a lot to answer for in terms of espousing and promoting the myth of the Lone Ranger woman, who is so bulletproof in her independence that she doesn’t need anybody for anything, which I think is detrimental. I think it leads to a ton of burnout.” (08:26)
  • Abagail: "I think we can push a lot of people away... if we’re not focused on that." (10:54)

Why Focus on Doubling Women-Owned Million-Dollar Businesses by 2030?

• Eleanor shares data-driven insights on the importance of hitting the $1M revenue milestone and why it’s such a significant benchmark for women-owned businesses:
  • Quote: “A million is a very powerful benchmark... there’s a certain degree of resilience in the business that provides a lot of freedom and structure for the founder.” (12:26)
  • Only about 1-2% of women-owned businesses reach this milestone, though the social and economic benefits of doing so are significant. (15:00)
  • Eleanor suggests that going after larger corporate contracts is often one of the most effective ways to scale rapidly.

Examples of Scaling via Bigger Deals

• Eleanor shares her journey from struggling to sell $3k–$12k coaching packages to landing a $150,000 corporate contract using the same program, which unlocked the ability to build her team and further scale:

  • Quote: “I went from fighting for my life to sell a $12,000 six week program... to selling 30 people going through a $150,000 program.” (16:30, repeated from 00:00)

• Abagail provides another example of pivoting product and client focus for exponential revenue growth during tough periods (bakery example). (21:05)

Current Obstacles for Entrepreneurs

• Eleanor identifies key obstacles in the post-pandemic environment:
  • Customer acquisition is more challenging than ever as marketing channels become saturated and less predictable (22:58).
  • Fatigue from the compounded effects of the pandemic and global instability is impacting business owner energy and optimism.
  • “We’re in the age for entrepreneurs of the great operator... It’s about who’s going to be a really good business leader.” (26:49)

The Roundtable Growth Strategy: How It Works

What is the Roundtable Method? (30:30)

• Format: 60-90 minute virtual event (e.g., on Zoom) with 3-5 speakers on a juicy, relevant topic.
• Mutual Benefit: Each speaker commits to promoting the event (ideally via email) to their audience, radically amplifying reach and lead generation.
• Brand Elevation: Positioning yourself among high-level peers boosts your credibility and exposes you to new audiences.

Quote:
“My approach... get three to four people, have a juicy discussion, and then we all market it together. That’s how roundtables were born.” — Eleanor Beaton (30:30)

• Eleanor traced $884,000 in sales to contacts first generated via roundtables within 18–24 months.
• Additional benefits: networking with influential people, reciprocal invitations, and authority growth.

How to Structure & Execute a Roundtable

Structuring Panel & Outreach:

• Start by securing a high-profile, respected anchor speaker (35:54).
• Use their involvement to attract others (“Would you like to join [impressive contact] on a great panel?”).
• Focus on what's in it for them: exposure, your audience, and the opportunity to showcase expertise.

Quote:
“I’m a fantastic interviewer. When you come onto my roundtable... you get to showcase your wisdom in a really great way.” (35:54)

Timeline & Planning:

• Choose a date 5–7 weeks out (39:38).
• Secure core speakers, develop and refine the topic, then prepare tools for panelists (emails, landing page, reminders).
• Begin promoting two weeks out for best attendance.

Making It Work for Different Business Types:

• This strategy works not just for digital entrepreneurs but also corporate, nonprofit, and account-based marketing contexts (41:26).
• Invite potential ideal clients as speakers for highly targeted lead generation.

Lead Conversion: Post-Roundtable Tactics

Immediate and Personal Follow-up:

• Don’t “over-index” to passive, digital-only follow-ups (44:40).
• Personal outreach is critical:
  • Eleanor suggests “Dial for dollars”—actually call or personally reach out to all attendees.
  • For those less comfortable with calls, use Instagram DMs or thoughtful emails.
  • Always clarify next steps and how you can help at the event’s close.

Quote:
“Somebody could tell that I felt very uncomfortable about outreach. He was like, ‘Eleanor, your embarrassability is your biggest enemy right now.’... I guarantee you, like 2% of the people who hear this are actually going to do it and they’re going to be so thankful.” (44:40)

Actionable Takeaways

• Leverage Collaboration: Stop going it alone—actively build relationships and networks to increase business opportunities.
• Host Roundtables: Use them for mutual audience access, networking, authority building, and organic lead generation.
• Be Proactive in Sales: Don’t rely solely on automations; personalize your lead follow-up.
• Aim High with Clients: Consider larger contracts and more ambitious deals as your path to meaningful milestones.

Notable Quotes

• “Money is power. Always make your own.” – Eleanor’s mother (03:30)
• “I think the myth of the Lone Ranger woman is detrimental. It leads to a ton of burnout.” – Eleanor Beaton (08:26)
• “A million is a very powerful benchmark... there’s a certain degree of resilience in the business that provides a lot of freedom.” – Eleanor Beaton (12:26)
• “Nothing creates more confidence in a business owner than a cash reserve.” – Eleanor Beaton (19:22)
• “My approach... get three to four people, have a juicy discussion, and we all market it together. That’s how roundtables were born.” – Eleanor Beaton (30:30)
• “Your embarrassability is your biggest enemy right now.” – Advice to Eleanor on sales outreach (44:40)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:30 — Eleanor’s origin story and the pivotal lesson from her mother
• 08:26 — On independence, feminism, and avoiding burnout
• 12:26 — Why aim to double the number of million-dollar women-owned businesses
• 16:30 — How Eleanor 10x’ed her revenue via corporate contracts
• 22:58 — Current economic and business growth challenges
• 30:30 — Roundtable Method explained: origins, execution, and success
• 35:54 — Building a great panel and leveraging social proof in outreach
• 39:38 — Timeline and planning for successful roundtables
• 44:40 — Why proactive, personal sales outreach post-event is critical

Where to Find Eleanor Beaton

• LinkedIn or Instagram: @EleanorBeaton (48:58)
• Roundtable Guide: DM "Roundtables" to Eleanor on LinkedIn or Instagram for her PDF guide.

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