Breaking the Million-Dollar Ceiling: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Scale Beyond the Barrier

00:00:00 Adrienne Garland: Leadership isn't just changing; it's evolving in ways we're only just beginning to imagine. And women, we're not playing this game anymore. We're the ones reshaping the entire field, building models, movements, and businesses that serve more than just a few. On the She Leads Podcast, you'll hear real conversations with women who've broken through all kinds of barriers, revenue, identity, borders, and expectations. There's no sugar coating here, just the truth told by those who are living it. I'm Adrienne Garland, entrepreneur, strategist, educator, and creator of live experiences, gathering women leaders together for over a decade. And this is the She Leads Podcast.

00:00:45 Hi everybody and welcome back to the She Leads Podcast. I'm your host, Adrienne Garland, and today I will be doing a completely unplanned solo episode. One of my guests had to cancel for the recording today. And in order to keep on schedule, I figured I would go ahead and do a 2025 wrap-up episode for the She Leads Podcast. We have had so many great guests over the last 12 months and I could not be more proud of the content body that we have been creating here at the She Leads Podcast. I just thought I'd maybe do a little year in review for She Leads and talk about what's coming up in 2026.

00:01:30 But before I start, I would like to do a call out to all of you listeners who have actually made the She Leads Podcast number one on Goodpods in a particular category. I believe it's entrepreneurial podcast, so that makes me so, so happy. And let me give all of you who may be newly tuning in—maybe some people have shared my podcast with you—I'd like to share with you a little bit about who I am, what I do, and maybe what my mission is here in this world. So, I'm Adrienne and I have had a lot of twists and turns, or maybe you could call them chapters of my professional journey, and of course, of my personal journey, too. You don't get to be 55 years old like I am without having gone through some life, as they say.

00:02:15 I don't know who says it, but I say "they". So let's see. I am the CEO of She Leads Media and we are a conference production and podcast production company. We also offer advisory services for women-owned businesses that are shooting toward the $1 million revenue mark and beyond. The reason that I have shifted focus a little bit in the last couple of months to help women that are growing their businesses past that million-dollar mark and beyond is because less than 2% of women-owned businesses actually achieve that objective.

00:03:00 And the reason that it's so important is not just for vanity purposes and to say that you have a million-dollar business, but rather when your business does get past that point, more profit is freed up if you are managing your money correctly. More profit is freed up and it is proven, there's lots and lots of research that shows that when women have access to capital and to funding that they do things that benefit society at large. They help their families, they help their communities, they help social causes, they help environmental causes, and all of that is really great for our people that inhabit this world.

00:03:45 So you can see that there is a reason behind me wanting to help these women to get their businesses past that mark so that they can pour some of that funding, some of that attention that is so needed around the world, so that they can pour those resources into humanity really. It's a big mission. And so the way that I am hoping that She Leads Media can play a part in getting women there is to help them to be confident, be more outspoken about their businesses, about all the great things that their businesses are doing, the problems that these businesses are solving, whether it's a small-scale problem or a larger scale problem. I am very committed to helping women to start, grow and scale businesses.

00:04:30 We do have a particular focus on the media because our view is that with more media attention and visibility, that just helps to spread the word of these women-owned businesses, it helps to position each one of those women business owners or co-founders as experts, as thought leaders that are deserving of media attention. And we need to have a much greater diversity of voices in the media. And so we do a lot to help women to understand what they need to do in order to pitch the media, in order for the media to give feedback on what they're looking for.

00:05:15 And so through our conferences and our events, we give women the opportunity to pitch themselves and get feedback from real-life journalists, TV professionals, podcasters about what they're looking for so that women can get the media attention and help them to build their businesses. And as they build their businesses, they can grow their business past that million-dollar mark, freeing up capital, providing the much-needed resources to all of the amazing causes that are so well needed in this world. So that is what She Leads Media's mission is, what our vision for the future is, and what we do.

00:06:00 More and more personally, I have been advising women-owned businesses so that they can get clarity around their business models, around their media strategy, around their marketing, really holding their hand and taking a look at their financials. This is what my area of expertise is, this is what I do. And I cannot wait to help more women to get the clarity that they need so that they can accomplish these goals that I have just outlined. So, I am taking on a couple of new clients in 2026. If you would like to be one of them, please reach out to me at hello@sheleadsmedia.com.

00:06:45 One of the things that we are doing as a business going into 2026 is more events, more gatherings, if you will, that are super focused on certain topics. So, one of the first things that we're doing is in February, we are co-hosting a Pitch the Media panel, and we're calling it "Pitch the Media: Retail" because we would like to welcome women that have products that are sold at retail to our pitch the media panel. We're hosting it at the MM LaFleur showroom in Bryant Park. They have a beautiful event space. We partnered with them for a gathering before the gathering at She Leads Live this past November and it was such a beautiful way to ease into the She Leads VIP evening and the She Leads Live conference.

00:07:30 And if you missed that, ask anybody that was there—you really missed out. Everything that we do at She Leads is curated specifically to develop deep relationships. And I have heard so many amazing testimonials coming out of She Leads Live. People that have hired each other, people that have formed strategic partnerships, business gets done, relationships get built. And I think that that is something that is so super special about what we do at She Leads Media and what we do at She Leads Live.

00:08:15 In 2026, we are taking She Leads Live around the world. We will be doing a trade mission to Canada in collaboration with the Calgary Economic Development Center. And we're also trying to plan some travel and business meetings in conjunction with Business France. So hopefully we will be doing almost a global field experience for She Leads Media in Paris. If you're interested in any of those things that I've mentioned, please reach out at hello@sheleadsmedia.com. And another really exciting development is we are bringing She Leads Live the conference and the VIP evening to the Virgin Islands in July.

00:09:00 So, if you'd like to come along on the trip to the Virgin Islands with She Leads Media and meet other women-owned businesses that are killing it in the Virgin Islands and if you want to have a She Leads Live beach experience and travel adventure and just really speaking to other women-owned businesses and building relationships that go beyond the New York City area or the Northeast, then come along with us. So, just a couple of other things that I feel like I talk about all the time, but when I speak to people, they say that they didn't realize that I did this. And I just want to put it out there some of the things that I've been doing over the last five years.

00:09:45 So, I have been traveling extensively mainly for work through Rice University's Jones School of Business MBA program. All the MBA programs require that an MBA student complete a global field experience. So, because I am a live instructor at the Jones School of Business for a class called "The New Venture," I'm associated with the online MBA program, which happens to be the number one entrepreneurial online MBA program in the United States as ranked by Princeton Review, and I'm so proud to be associated with Rice University's entrepreneurship programs. I teach an entrepreneurship class at Rice University, so I could not be more proud to be associated with that.

00:10:30 And through that opportunity, I was so lucky and blessed to be asked to be faculty on the global field experience for online MBA students. So for the last four-plus years, I have been the faculty member taking students on these global field experiences and heading up the six-week course that precedes travel. So I've been to many, many South American and Latin American countries over these last four-plus years and I am heading to Santiago, Chile in March. So that's one aspect of travel.

00:11:15 On the personal side, I have visited numerous places. Most recently for my 30th wedding anniversary, my husband and I went back to the place that we had our honeymoon, which was French Polynesia. In August, we traveled halfway around the world to French Polynesia and spent an amazing time on several of the islands there. And you know, in 30 years, things change, but the thing that remains is just the untouched beauty of French Polynesia and the absolute love of the people there. I'm heading out tomorrow to Texas where my son is graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Super proud of him.

00:12:00 We're getting on the plane to go down to Texas tomorrow, which is exciting. And I'll be traveling to St. Martin for a personal trip with my husband and also to Orlando, Florida in January for the PGA show. I believe it's the third year that I will be attending the PGA show. And the reason that I go is because one of my clients, Leslie Meyers, who is the president of Hot Girls Pearls, which is cooling jewelry for hot women. Women wear this cooling jewelry for golf when they play tennis and also if they're suffering from any type of hot flashes due to menopause or any other medical conditions.

00:12:45 So, I am womaning the booth and helping to speak to retail customers who are looking to purchase Hot Girls Pearls on a wholesale basis to sell to their golf customers who are playing golf in sunny places and during the summer when it gets hot out. So, super, super fun. I have a dear friend that lives in the area, so I will be visiting her as well. So, lots planned for 2026 as far as travel, especially in the first couple of months of the year. And one of the other things that I do in addition to teaching entrepreneurship at Rice University on a quadmaster basis is I am an adjunct instructor at New York University's Tisch Center of Hospitality where undergraduate and graduate students are studying event management, hospitality and tourism.

00:13:30 So loads of students who I absolutely adore. I love them. They know it. We work on creating entrepreneurial ventures together and we work through on a semester basis everything that it takes to go from idea to pitch deck and it's a lot of work when it comes to understanding what it takes from a business perspective and also what it takes from a personal perspective in order to welcome entrepreneurship into your life and follow that journey. So I have lots and lots of experience working with all different types of people, all different types of businesses really all around the world.

00:14:15 And so the expertise that I have gathered over these last five-plus years is I think extraordinary and I take all of this knowledge and I put it into everything that we do at She Leads Media when it comes to advisory and consulting and also the conferences that we put together. Hey everyone. So for years I've been working with Dr. Kent and sending people in my network his way. He does so much impact work. What do I mean by that? Well, he helps people create books and podcasts and things like that. He even helps with this podcast behind the scenes. Dr. Kent is my thought partner.

00:15:00 Anyone listening knows that we all need to do what we can to get our thoughts, opinions, and voices out into the world and how important it is for women to invest in other women and for women to hire other women. I am all about that and you all know that. But in this case, I think Dr. Kent is an exception. He's doing something really different via this new program that he's launched called the Genius Discovery Program. So, he wants to work with people like me and like you who are impact driven. Dr. Kent has an intensive program that goes for a month. He also has a three-month program where he figures out where you're headed with your brand, your business, your speaking, and your signature story as a thought leader.

00:15:45 I've known Dr. Kent for a long time. So, believe me when I say that he has a ton of experience working with people that are looking to make an impact, but might not know exactly how to approach that. So, if you're interested in talking to him, you can go directly to talktokent.com or you can send me a DM on Instagram at sheleadsmedia or just shoot me an email over at hello@sheleadsmedia.com. In addition to this podcast that you're listening to right now, interviewing exceptional women leaders, women entrepreneurs never gets old. Right? This podcast is my way of showcasing what these women are doing, the choices that they're making every single day.

00:16:30 Choices that are not easy choices—to be an entrepreneur is not a smooth path. It is very challenging. Entrepreneurship in general is challenging. And when you layer in some of these other aspects of people's lives—their gender, just their culture—you know, you're talking about different barriers that each one of these people have to overcome. And so with this podcast, it's my privilege to be able to shine a light on those entrepreneurs. And I hope that as you're listening in to any of these stories, any of these interviews, that you are taking away at least one thing.

00:17:15 You know, did something that was said inspire you? Did you disagree with something that I said or that one of the guests said? And why? You know, how does that affect your choices going forward? Does that give you clarity? Right? Everything does not need to be happy, happy, positive Pollyanna in order for you to learn. Sometimes we learn when we feel push back, when we feel that we don't agree with something, it helps us to hone our own clarity so that we can move forward with greater power.

00:18:00 So, as you're listening in, you know, it doesn't matter if you agree with everything that's said, if you don't agree with the journey that some of these founders have taken, maybe some of the choices you're saying to yourself, "I wouldn't have done that," you know, or asking yourself, "Why did that person make that choice?" What was going on for them in their lives? And, you know, some of the choices that lead to stumbles for some of these entrepreneurs. Perhaps that's something that you can use as a sign that that's not the direction that you want to move in.

00:18:45 So, please listen into this podcast with a discerning ear and take away from it not only all the good—because truly there is so much good on this podcast, so much advice, so much love—I hope, I really do hope that that comes through, but also take away those moments that you know maybe make you a little uncomfortable or that you just don't agree with or you know you question. Like, why is this person on the podcast? What is the reason that this person is there and what does that mean to me? Right? That's what these podcasts are intended to do. They are not intended to give you an exact playbook for you to follow.

00:19:30 You are a different person. You are at a different stage of your life. You have had different circumstances and influences as you've been growing up. No two people are the same, but it is very important for you to listen in for what you can take away, what you can synthesize in your own life and hopefully that will help you to make better decisions for you, right? Everything that you consume—books, podcasts, even if you hire somebody to help you, mentor you, coach you, advise you—you need to interpret everything that they are sharing with you through your own filter and you have to make conscious decisions that are meaningful to you.

00:20:15 I made a lot of mistakes and I honestly, I continue to make mistakes where I sometimes turn over my filter or I don't use my filter, I guess, is a better way to say it. There have been so many circumstances where I have thought that for one reason or another, somebody knows better for me than me. And I did it out of wanting to get different results, which I do not think is a bad thing. So, I don't regret the choices that I made. But I did turn over much of my discernment to others that didn't necessarily—I don't know whether they didn't have my best interest in mind, but they certainly were not me.

00:21:00 When somebody asks you to blindly follow them and do what they say because they know better, run in the other direction because while somebody might be more accomplished, while some may have had more success, they are not you. So again, from every single interaction, take away from that what is meaningful to you. Definitely be open-minded, growth-oriented, but know that whoever it is that you're wanting to help you is not you. And you have the power to truly help yourself and I would say look at everything that you do from an objective point of view and use your mind. Think through things.

00:21:45 Let's get out of this pressure that we feel to make a decision in the moment. Yes, there are times where we need to act quickly in order to not miss an opportunity, but sometimes pressure that other people put on you in order to make a decision at that very second, lest you second-guess yourself, that is 100% somebody else's desire to lock you into what it is that they want you to do. I learned that lesson the hard way. And it took me a couple of times even to learn that pressure, especially for me personally, does not work. Having somebody pressure me to make a decision in the moment—turn over my credit card now—it's not for me.

00:22:30 And if that causes me to take a step back and second guess, well, then that is exactly what I need to do. And I will never let anybody tell me to go get my credit card before we get off this telephone to secure payment and lock me into something that really isn't for me. I will never let that happen to me again. So, take that for what it is. I know I'm being a little cranky, but it's just something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. So, 2025 was a pretty good year for She Leads Media. I feel like we got back on our feet. We lost our footing in 2024.

00:23:15 And it's because we had a desire to go bigger, to do things that were more popular, I guess, if you will, and to lean into models that perhaps brought in more revenue, but they also came with much higher costs. And so the forward momentum really was not—it was actually a bit of, not a bit, it was a backslide. And in 2025 I spent the year trying to recover from 2024 and find what our footing is. In 2026, it's much more about doing the things that matter to the women and the people that we want to be working with that we know we can help and that value the expertise that we bring to the table.

00:24:00 They value the wide network of deep relationships that we have cultivated at She Leads Media and it's all about strategically partnering with other businesses that are in exact alignment with what we want the world to look like in 2026 and beyond. So, I think that wraps—that's a nice way to put a bow and wrap up some of the things that we've been doing, some of the things that we will be doing in 2026 and beyond. And I guess if I could just hit some highlights and talk about some themes for 2026, it would be more personalized attention, more advisory work, more clarity work, more traveling, more creating extraordinary experiences for women entrepreneurs and leaders.

00:24:45 These allow us to break some of the patterns that have kept us below that million-dollar mark. I'd like to be at the forefront of that, hand-in-hand with other women-led businesses and women leaders, even in corporate, so that we can finally make the progress that I know that we are capable of making and that we tear down any type of barriers that anybody has put up in front of us. So travel, bespoke, curated extraordinary experiences are coming your way in addition to some really exciting partnerships that are focused on financial health, focused on speaking on stages, getting thought leadership out into the world, and of course opportunities for visibility.

00:25:30 If you have anything else that you would like to hear on the She Leads Podcast in 2026 and beyond, if there's a certain topic that you'd really like me to dive into and explore in greater depth, do not hesitate to reach out to me at hello@sheleadsmedia.com and let me know what it is that you want to hear. Let me know who it is that you'd like me to interview. Let me know what topics you are thinking about. What are you struggling with? What would you like to bring into your life in 2026 and beyond? And how can I help you to do that? How can my team and I help you to get there?

00:26:15 So, happy, happy holiday. Happy close of 2025. A podcast that I listen to all the time, Project Me with Tiffany Carter—she's talking lately about how 2025 is the year of the snake and we are all shedding our old identities so that we can move forward into the year of the horse, 2026. And I just love the visual of this big, strong, beautiful, shiny horse that is just galloping forward with strength, with beauty, confidence, and sort of there's nothing that that horse can't do. So, let's shed what did not serve us in 2025 and let's saddle up for what is to come in 2026.

00:27:00 Thank you so much. I do appreciate you listening to the She Leads Podcast. If you find this episode or any of the other episodes to be intriguing, inspiring, or just you want to give us some love, head on over to Apple Podcast and give us a five-star rating. We'd love a review. It really helps our show—not just our show for our sake, but our show for all the other guests and their visibility as well. So, if you're listening, give us a five-star rating and review or on Spotify also, you can tap the five stars and share this. Share this with another woman entrepreneur that you know, another woman leader.

00:27:45 Share it with all entrepreneurs, all leaders. We need everybody to get behind this mission because when women have equality, everybody benefits. Humanity benefits. She Leads Media is about helping women to grow and to thrive and be extraordinary, but it's truly about humanity so that all of us can live together and we can love each other and help each other instead of tearing each other down. So, I leave you with that message. Thank you so much and I will talk to you on our next episode. Take care. Bye-bye.

00:28:30 If this conversation moved you, inspired you, or made you think differently, please take a moment to leave a five-star rating and review. It's not just about boosting the show; it's about amplifying the voices of women entrepreneurs who are leading with vision, building with purpose, and shaping what's next. We need more of these conversations in the world right now, don't you think? And if someone came to mind while you were listening, someone who matters to you, send this episode to them. If there's something on your mind about leadership, legacy, or what's next, I want to hear it. Head to sheleadsmedia.com/voice and leave a voice memo or note. Your insight might just help shape a future episode. Make sure to follow the show and come back next week for more conversations you won't hear anywhere else. Thank you so much for listening.