Women's Million Dollar Conversations

Can a stay-at-home mom reach a million-dollar retirement goal? In this inspiring episode, Alice Tang sits down with Kim Kelleher to discuss the "Team Riley" partnership. Kim reveals how she and her husband focused on accumulating wealth through retirement plans from day one, allowing her to take a 15-year career break while their savings grew. Learn why Kim views money as a tool for safety and cho...

How do you build a million-dollar business in a highly technical and regulated field? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Theresa Conti, the founder of Sunwest Pensions. Theresa shares her journey of leaving a corporate role to build a specialized Third Party Administrator (TPA) firm that prioritizes personalized service over automated shortcuts. Ther...

Can a 15-year career break coexist with a million-dollar financial goal? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Gina Riley, the mastermind behind the Career Velocity model. Gina reveals the secrets of "Team Riley," a 30-year partnership that achieved seven-figure success through successive saving and a shared vision. Learn why Gina views money as a gateway to choices and how she navigated the transiti...

How do you turn a nearly 40-year legal career into a secure, million-dollar retirement? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Kathy Root, a family law veteran who retired on April 1st after 39 years of practice. Kathy reveals the "long-term play" that allowed her to reach seven-figure status, including the importance of starting early and the role her h...

Are your finances controlling you, or are you controlling your life? Join Alice Tang as she sits down with Beth Bengston, founder of Working for Women, to discuss how economic independence creates the freedom to make real choices. Beth shares why she wishes she had started intentional money conversations in her 20s and how a childhood lesson in "earning a camera" shaped her resilient mindset. Disc...

Can you build a million-dollar business as a solopreneur without losing your mind? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Bonnie Treichel, the founder of Endeavor Retirement and Endeavor Law. Bonnie reveals how she hit seven-figure revenue milestones in record time and why she is often her own "best cheerleader and worst enemy". Learn the tactical importance of letting go of what you can't control and...

What would you do if your employer laid you off and then asked you to come back two days later? For Andrea Heuston, the answer was starting her own company so no one could ever control her destiny again. In this episode, Andrea joins Alice Tang to discuss her 29-year journey as the founder of Artitudes Design. She shares a candid look at the early mistakes she made with the IRS and how she scaled...

Success is about making history and opening doors for the next generation. Alice Tang and guest Ana Chaud discuss their shared common ground as immigrants who have blazed their own trails in the United States. Ana shares the emotional reality of her "lowest points" and how looking back at her accomplishments gives her the fuel to move forward. Learn why Ana believes in enjoying the plateaus and ho...

How do you go from a devastating personal and professional split to owning a million-dollar franchise empire? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Kathleen Mundy, who shares her powerful story of "getting the kid while he got the company". Kathleen reveals how she bootstrapped five pizza stores in five years after banks refused to lend to her, and why she threw away her fur coats for an apron to sec...

Are you stuck in the "doer" phase of your business, unable to scale because you're managing every detail? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Kristen Meneghello, founder of Illumination Coaching. Kristen shares how she transitioned from a legal background to becoming a top executive coach, helping leaders harness the power of Emotional Intelligence (E...

What does it take to lead—and eventually sell—one of Oregon's most iconic wineries? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Anna Maria Ponzi, former owner of Ponzi Vineyards and a true pioneer in the American wine industry. Anna Maria shares her journey of growing up in the vineyards and eventually taking the helm to lead the brand through massive expansi...

How do you move from being a practitioner to a leader of a multi-million dollar empire? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Marissa Levin, a four-time founder who has built and sold several successful companies. Marissa breaks down the "Million Dollar Resting Point" and explains why business owners must be willing to let go of the people, processes, and infrastructure that got them to their first m...

Is your business stuck on a "hamster wheel" of rework and relaunching? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang speaks with Susan Perry, a transformational change agent who knows exactly how to knock down resistance and accelerate growth. Susan shares her personal story of growing up without abundance and how she spent 20 years strategically building a million-dollar net...

In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang interviews Christina Clark, Vice Chairman at Newmark. With over 20 years in commercial real estate, Christina shares how she navigated a "circuitous" career path to reach the million-dollar milestone, emphasizing the power of intent, team building, and the resilience to turn "no" into "yes". Christina discusses why success is neve...

Are you tired of being the "best-kept secret" in your industry? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Elizabeth Bachman, the founder of Strategic Speaking for Executives and a veteran international opera director. Elizabeth shares how she translated decades of directing opera stars into a proprietary system for helping corporate leaders own the stage an...

Can your business thrive if you stop showing up? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Michele Hecken, a serial entrepreneur who ran a global language firm for 25 years before selling it in a glorious, all-cash deal. Michele reveals how she "offboarded" herself—firing herself from tasks she disliked so she could focus on strategy and growth. Michele sha...

Can you build a million-dollar agency that prioritizes social impact as much as the bottom line? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Anna Madill, the award-winning founder and CEO of Avenue Agency. Anna shares her journey of building a certified B Corp and 1% for the Planet digital agency that has surpassed the million-dollar mark by driving real chan...

What happens when you realize your "upper limit" is the only thing stopping you from reaching millions? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Celeste Mergens, the founder of Days for Girls International. Celeste shares the soul-stirring story of how witnessing menstrual inequity and sexual exploitation in Kenya led her to build an organization that has...

Can you "have it all" in business and life? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Erin Koss, CEO and Founder of Syte Consulting Group. Erin shares the honest reality of her 30-year journey, including the moment her firm hit the million-dollar revenue mark—only for her to realize the clients didn't align with her core values. Erin reveals why she intenti...

Can you build a million-dollar company starting with only $800? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Lauren Francis, CEO and Founder of Mulberry Talent Partners. Lauren shares her remarkable journey from founding "Maid in America" with a vacuum cleaner to scaling her current recruiting firm past the million-dollar mark in just its second year. Lauren d...

What would you do if your financial advisor told you that you were "set for life" at age 43? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Meg Carlson, founder of Uproar Capital and a former global Vice President for Heinz. Meg shares the incredible story of discovering that 17 years of hard work and yearly stock grants had accumulated into a $7 million windfal...

What does it take to secure a million-dollar commitment in half an hour? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Ana Rau, a Major Gift Officer for higher education. Ana reveals the "shocking moment" when a donor offered a million dollars through their will and shares the "duckling" strategy for staying calm under pressure. Ana discusses the moves manageme...

Do you view your accountant as a gatekeeper or a growth partner? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Cathy Kemnitz, founder of Cathy Kemnitz Consulting. Cathy shares her journey of breaking through the "role bias" that often keeps financial professionals from having a true seat at the leadership table. Cathy reveals her signature 60/40 rule for making...

How do you build a million-dollar brand when nobody even knows what your product is? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Lori Spencer, co-founder of Oregon Chai and a 25-year veteran of the food and beverage industry. Lori shares the organic, high-energy journey of growing a startup by 350% and watching the "million-dollar thermometer" in the office c...

What can a recruiting firm tell you about the future of the economy? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Suzanne Hanifin, Founder and President of Acumen Executive Search. With over 15 years in the industry, Suzanne explains why leadership hiring is a crucial forward indicator for financial markets. Suzanne pulls back the curtain on running an organiz...