FoundHer Rising with Christine Hakkola

She built an eight figure business by refusing to be the one who does the work. Most founders stay stuck because clients only want them, and saying no feels impossible. Maddie Niebauer made the opposite call early. She stopped being the service provider, became a matchmaker, and built VChief into a fractional chief of staff firm that scaled past her. In this episode she breaks down the delegation,...

In this episode, Natasha Golinsky shares how a stage two breast cancer diagnosis forced her to build the team she'd been avoiding for a decade. The result was a business that runs without her, eight months ahead of any schedule she'd ever set for herself. The cost was confronting why she'd waited so long. If you've been kicking the can on your first real hire, your next price incre...

After 34 years in corporate, Adyna K. Pressley got laid off and felt relief. What followed was a pivot most founders dream about and quietly fear. She built AKP Innovations from a girls' trip conversation, landed a feature on Oprah, and ran straight into the one obstacle that almost no founder anticipates. Not marketing. Not sales. Help. This conversation gets honest about what it actually tak...

Most service founders are stuck working harder without growing. The real problem isn't effort. It's the trade-offs they're not seeing. In this episode, Jess Britt shares how she built her consulting business by saying no to the wrong opportunities, building systems before she had clients, and treating sales like service. The outcome is a business designed to last, not just to survive....

Sara Coyle built a steady one-on-one therapy practice, brought on contractors, and ran straight into a problem most service founders don't see coming. The wait list didn't transfer. The growth stalled. The marketing playbook that built the business stopped working. In this video, Sara shares what she's learning in real time about scaling Connected Roots Therapy from solo to team, why the strategie...

You're great at what you do. The work brought clients. The clients brought referrals. You built something real. Then growth slowed, the warm network thinned out, and the same fear started showing up under every decision: more clients means more hours, and there aren't more hours. This week, Shenelle B., founder of B.L.A.Z.E Careers, walks through how she scaled her HR consulting practice p...

You're booking sessions, helping clients, and still working evenings and weekends to make it sustainable. The problem isn't your skill. It's the pricing model and the marketing strategy you inherited from people who don't understand service work. In this video, therapist and coach Jemima Blazdell shares what 15 years of building a heart-centered practice has taught her about sustainability, the tr...

Most heart-centered founders hit a wall around the full-roster mark. The business that felt aligned starts feeling like a ceiling. In this episode, Jordana Bergman, founder of Eden Wellness Psychotherapy and former Bay Street litigator, shares the exact shifts that took her from full solo practice to a scalable boutique group clinic without losing the integrity of the work or burning out in the pr...

Susan Henriques spent 17 years in the school board system before she made her first move toward private practice. Four years later, she runs a group psychology practice with three associates and two mornings a week just for herself. This isn't a story about taking a big leap. It's about building something that lasts by moving at exactly the right pace. In this episode of FoundHer Rising, C...

Two LCSWs Left the Hospital. Then They Built What the Mental Health System Was Missing. Jodi Kapes and Valerie Lighthall spent years inside hospital behavioral health. After 14+ years in the system, they walked out and built Aligned Clinical LCSW Consulting, a practice delivering clinical debriefings, mental health support, and risk management consulting directly to organizations and communities....

Building a group counseling practice takes more than clinical skill. It takes systems, delegation, and the courage to market a brand instead of just yourself. Melissa Manning, founder and clinical director of M&M Counseling, built a fully trauma-informed group practice in Ontario after nearly two decades in leadership roles across social services. In this episode of FoundHer Rising, she walks...

Most business coaches will tell you to fix your funnel, adjust your offer, or refine your messaging. What they won't tell you is that none of it holds if the belief underneath is broken. Agita Bergmane, transformation and energy leadership coach, moved from Latvia to the United States, built a career, became a stay-at-home mom, and eventually reached a point where her external life looked successf...

She built a 40-person digital agency, hit rock bottom at 37, lost 80 pounds, and rebuilt her entire life. Terry Tateossian joins Christine Hakkola to talk about what it actually costs to build success the wrong way and what it looks like to build it right. The business was working. The body wasn't. This conversation goes deep on burnout, misalignment, the pendulum problem in business and healt...

You changed jobs. You changed business models. And burnout showed up again anyway. That is not a strategy problem. That is an identity problem, and most high-achieving women never see it coming. In this episode, Christine Hakkola sits down with coherence coach and neuroscience guide Carly Craver to explore the real root of burnout, why fear and intuition are not the same thing, and why building a...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola speaks with Christine Cunningham about her journey in building a perinatal mental health practice. They discuss the importance of finding a niche, the challenges and benefits of diversifying income streams, and the balance between passion and business growth. Christine shares her personal experiences, insights on marketing, and the significance...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, host Christine Hakkola interviews Terri Swanson, an HR consultant and owner of Swanson Consulting and Associates. Terri shares her journey from setting a goal to become an entrepreneur to successfully launching her consulting business. She discusses the importance of goal setting, building a support network, and overcoming fears. Terri emphasizes the need for ad...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola interviews Dr. Rana Pishva, a clinical psychologist and founder of Sorted Mind. They discuss the journey of diversifying services in the wellness industry, the importance of adaptability, and the challenges of business growth. Dr. Pishva shares her insights on overcoming the fear of failure, the significance of finding a niche, and the future v...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola speaks with Alejandra Ramirez, Founder of Ready Cultures, about her journey from corporate communications to entrepreneurship. Alejandra shares her insights on the importance of clear communication in building workplace culture, the challenges of transitioning to self-employment, and the necessity of operationalizing business processes for grow...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola interviews Laura Farberman, a registered social worker and yoga instructor, about her journey in building her business, Soulful Therapy. Laura shares her experiences transitioning from a private practice to a group practice, the mindset shifts she encountered as a leader, and the importance of self-care and money mindset in her entrepreneurial...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola interviews Lanise Lywood, founder of Melanin Mosaic Therapy. They discuss the inspiration behind Lanise's practice, the challenges of starting a private therapy practice, and the importance of accessibility in mental health services. Lanise shares her journey of overcoming obstacles, the significance of finding a niche, and the expansion of her...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola speaks with Dr. Eden-Reneé Hayes, a strategist and executive coach specializing in organizational culture and inclusion. They discuss Eden-Reneé's transition from academia to entrepreneurship, the challenges and triumphs of running a DEI consultancy, and the importance of building a supportive team. Eden-Reneé shares her insights on niching dow...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola interviews Krystal Hicks, a career strategist and founder of JOBTALK LLC. Krystal shares her journey from corporate recruitment to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of accessibility and equity in career services. She discusses the key decisions that shaped her business, the significance of establishing boundaries, and her unique pers...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola interviews Carly Fleming, a seasoned psychotherapist and entrepreneur who successfully built and sold Everwell Counseling. Carly shares her journey of transitioning from a solo practice to a group practice, the challenges she faced, and the importance of setting boundaries and having a clear vision. She discusses the process of selling her busi...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, Christine Hakkola speaks with Kelly Hill, founder of Profit and Lattes Inc. and creator of the Menopausal Entrepreneur. They discuss the intersection of menopause and entrepreneurship, exploring how this life stage can be a powerful catalyst for women to build impactful businesses. Kelly shares her personal journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, the ch...

In this episode of FoundHer Rising, host Christine Hakkola speaks with Allisha Curtis, founder of Allisha Curtis LMHC, a licensed therapist and advocate for women's wellness. They discuss Allisha's journey into private practice, the importance of mentorship, and the challenges of transitioning from therapy to entrepreneurship. Allisha shares her experiences in building a practice focused on women...