Own Your Authority: 13 Ways to Go from Entrepreneur to Thought Leader
The Founding Females® Business Hack Series
Welcome to the second edition of the Founding Females® Business Hack Series: a monthly collection of crowd-sourced wisdom from women entrepreneurs around the world.
Last month, we talked about Freedom by Design: 18 Ways to Gain Time, Choice, and Peace as a Female Entrepreneur. This month, we’re shifting our focus to share how to build your authority as a thought leader. Here, you’ll learn from 13 bold, authoritative women to learn how to expand your reach from running a business to disrupting conventional wisdom.
At Founding Females®, we know women have vast collective intelligence to share.
Each time one of us discovers a smarter workflow, a mindset shift that elevates the outcome, or a strategy that frees up time and mental space, it becomes something worth sharing.
This series celebrates what women do so well: link arms and clear the path for the next woman to thrive.
Each month, we invite women founders, consultants, creatives, and CEOs from every corner of the globe to submit their best “business hack” aligned with intentional topics designed to help women lead, grow, and expand our businesses.
The result is a growing library of practical wisdom from real women doing good work in real businesses, all curated here in one place so you can learn, grow, and build a business that supports your life, not the other way around.
Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, these hacks offer quick wins, fresh perspectives, and tested insights that save time, fuel momentum, and help you step deeper into your role as a female entrepreneur.
This Month’s Theme: Own Your Authority: Go from Entrepreneur to Thought Leader
This month, our contributors shared the shifts, systems, and micro-strategies that help their names be mentioned in rooms they aren’t in (in the best way!).
I heard a quote yesterday I can’t let go of, “You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were yesterday.”
As women running businesses, we’re really good at adapting, taking risks we don’t yet feel ready for, and leading the way into unchartered territory. With that comes insights, opportunities to disrupt, and open doors to become known for boldly leading. Our business’s growth is a direct result of the growth within us.
The best part I see time and time again: As we evolve into the next version of ourselves, we bring others along for the rise.
Have a Hack of Your Own? We’d Love to Feature You.
If you’re an entrepreneur with a piece of hard-earned wisdom you’re willing to share, we want to hear it. Your insight could be the exact shift another woman needs to move forward.
Submit your hack here: https://foundingfemalesco.com/hack
(We publish new themes all year long. Bookmark the page so you can contribute anytime.)
Let’s hear the smart, practical hacks that help these wise women run a business they love while becoming known as an authority in their field.
Photo Credit: Always Flourishing Photography
Own Your Authority: 13 Ways to Go From Entrepreneur to Thought Leader
“I stopped trying to be everything to everyone.”
“Early on, I chased every lead, which was a mistake. Now, if someone wants "just a logo" or says they need marketing to be "more fun," I politely send them elsewhere.
I only work with growth-oriented business owners who understand that strategy drives results, not pretty pictures. This clarity transformed everything.
My team works on projects they actually care about. Our clients get better results because they're invested. Our prospects who are the right fit can feel the difference immediately.
I learned this while working with my dad flipping houses, because you can't fix a bad foundation with new paint. The same applies to client relationships.
The businesses willing to do the strategic work are the ones we help scale. Everyone else gets a referral to someone better suited for what they actually need. Being selective isn't limiting. It's the only way to truly scale with integrity and authenticity.”
Amanda Shilling, founder of MINT Brand Marketing | @mintbrandmarketing | Fargo, ND, USA
“Real growth happened when I owned my quiet nature, looked within, and began creating from a place of purpose.”
“My game-changing hack has been learning to lead from alignment! The biggest shift in my author business came when I stopped chasing formulas and started honoring who I truly am.
For years, I believed success meant following the trends, but real growth happened when I owned my quiet nature, looked within, and began creating from a place of purpose. I started treating my business like a reflection of my heart, not another checklist to complete. Every decision, product, and partnership began flowing from authenticity instead of expectation.
When you lead from alignment, you stop performing and start embodying. You build trust first, and the traction naturally follows.
My life became my message, and everything I shared resonated more deeply because it was rooted in my truth. Alignment has taught me that when you slow down, you won’t be tempted to trade your soul for the speed of growth. Success, for me, is no longer about how fast I move, it’s about how true I remain. My growth has come in waves, but the opportunities unfolded have exceeded every dream I once had for myself!
Leading from alignment isn’t just a strategy; it’s a state of being. It’s the art of building from the inside out, and that’s where authentic leadership truly begins.”
Anastasia Lindsey, founder of anamariepoetry | @anamariepoetry | Decaur, Illinois, USA
“Clarified my brand by taking back my punk rock roots.”
“Clarified my brand by taking back my punk rock roots. I'm not for everyone, I'm for the people who care to create systems that support frictionless operations without the consultant fluff.”
Sarah Smith, founder of Iconoclast Innovations LLC | @iconoclast_innovations_llc | Brambleton, VA, USA
“Re-centering on my values gives me clarity and confidence in every decision I make.”
“One of the most powerful habits that’s helped me grow my business is regularly asking myself one simple question: What are my values again?
Re-centering on my values gives me clarity and confidence in every decision I make.
Before launching a product, partnering with a brand, creating content, or investing resources, I pause and check alignment. Does this support performance, confidence, integrity, and long-term impact? If the answer is no, it’s a pass- even if it looks tempting in the moment. This has saved me time, money, and energy while keeping my brand focused and authentic.
Growing my business didn’t come from doing more, it came from doing what actually matters, repeatedly. When your decisions align with your values, your brand becomes stronger, your messaging becomes clearer, and your audience begins to trust you. Growth becomes sustainable instead of scattered, and momentum builds naturally from aligned action.”
Amanda Martinez, founder of Enhance: Skin, Beauty, Wellness | @enhancesbw | Holland, MI USA
“I listen deeply to client language, notice repeated themes, and reflect those patterns back in simple, precise terms.”
“The most impactful shift I made as a business owner was stopping myself from over-teaching and instead focusing on pattern recognition.
Early on, I believed authority came from sharing everything I knew, frameworks, steps, explanations. What actually moved my business forward was learning to identify the core emotional and behavioral pattern showing up across my clients and naming it clearly in my messaging.
Now, instead of creating content around tactics, I listen deeply to client language, notice repeated themes, and reflect those patterns back in simple, precise terms. When people feel accurately seen, trust is built instantly, often before they ever speak to you.
This approach shortened my sales cycle, improved consult quality, and positioned me as a thought leader without needing constant visibility or performance. Clients arrive already aligned, already confident I understand their problem, and already emotionally invested in working together.
My practical system is simple:
• Track repeated client phrases and behaviors
• Name the pattern in one clear sentence
• Build content and offers around that insight consistently.”
Shilpa Cacho, founder of Shilpa Cacho, Love Coach | Dallas, Texas, USA
“I stopped presenting myself as support and started showing up as the architect.”
“For years, I was invited into rooms that looked powerful but felt strangely small. Executive titles, leadership roles, global exposure and yet no real authority. I later realized I had been given a seat at the table without a voice. A decorative chair.
The most game-changing hack in my business was this: I stopped waiting for permission to lead and built authority operationally, not optically.
Instead of trying to be more “visible,” I focused on becoming undeniably useful. I documented decisions. I built frameworks. I turned instinct into process. I made my thinking tangible and repeatable. That’s when clients stopped asking for my opinion and started trusting my direction.
The shift wasn’t louder marketing. It was clearer positioning. I stopped presenting myself as support and started showing up as the architect. Once I did that, the right clients found me and the wrong rooms quietly disappeared.
Authority isn’t claimed with confidence alone. It’s earned when your work speaks before you do.
The moment I stopped chasing tables, I ended up owning the room.”
Stephanie Pimentel, founder of Lumena Global Advisory LLC | @lumenaglobal | Hollywood, FL, USA
“Turn what you already know into a signature framework other people can actually use.”
“My tip for owning your authority is simple: turn what you already know into a signature framework other people can actually use (and repeat).
A framework is a shortcut to demonstrating what you know. And that builds trust and credibility.
Give it a name, a few easy-to-follow steps, and a clear payoff. When you share the process you personally used to achieve something, you're turning your expertise and "what you learned the hard way" into something usable and memorable. Those insights and methods are what make you a thought leader.
For me, it's ROCK Your Prompt™: my 4-step framework for improving your AI prompts to get better results.
When I can teach what I went through to learn how to use AI better in a way that other entrepreneurs can apply in 10 minutes, that's when I feel like I own my authority.
So take the expertise you already have and package it into a signature framework.”
Aila Frishman, founder of Cailence | LinkedIn | Seattle, WA, USA
“The key to growing your authority and becoming an industry leader is STORY MAPPING.”
“The key to growing your authority and becoming an industry leader is STORY MAPPING.
Look back at your journey to getting to where you are right now. What are the through lines in your story? The initial moment you realized you have your gift or skill? How you mastered it? How it's made an impact? What have you learned that has gotten you to where you are now?
Once you crystallize those parts of your story, you can use them to tell impactful stories that lead people to view you as more than what you do, but what you KNOW.”
Gabriella Layne-Avery, founder of Strut Communications | @strutsocialwithgabby | Long Beach, CA, USA
“Every time you say "I'm just..." or "I only..." replace it with "I specialize in..."”
“Quick Action: Write down 3 things you know more about than 95% of people. These aren't humble suggestions—these are your authority pillars.
The Hack: Every time you say "I'm just..." or "I only..." replace it with "I specialize in..." Your expertise doesn't need permission.”
Michele D'Amico, founder of Vetta Consultants LLC | @drmicheledamico | Las Northridge, CA, USA
“Authority didn’t truly solidify until I began articulating why things worked, not just that they did.”
“One game-changing hack that accelerated my growth from entrepreneur to thought leader was shifting from proving value to naming patterns. Early on, I focused on execution—building, selling, delivering results. But authority didn’t truly solidify until I began articulating why things worked, not just that they did.
I started treating my lived experience—across education, technology, leadership, and innovation—as data. Instead of positioning myself as the person with answers, I positioned myself as the person who could see the system: the hidden dynamics behind teacher burnout, the difference between AI that replaces and AI that empowers, and why human-centered design matters most in solving any business problem. Naming those patterns publicly—on LinkedIn, in talks, and in conversations—created clarity for others and credibility for me.
The hack wasn’t louder marketing; it was intellectual ownership. I stopped borrowing language and began offering frameworks. When you give people language for what they already feel but can’t yet articulate, they don’t just listen—they follow. That’s when entrepreneurship evolves into thought leadership: when your perspective becomes a reference point, not a pitch.”
Yesenia Sevilla, founder of CHALK Coaching | @chalkcoaching | Nashville, TN, USA
“I intentionally surround myself with people who are smarter than me in areas I’m not.”
“Imposter syndrome doesn’t disappear when you become a founder; it just evolves. Through my career — now building in my third industry — I’ve learned that the goal isn’t to just eliminate it, but to change how you respond to it.
One of the most important mindset shifts for me was letting go of the idea that I need to know everything. Instead, I intentionally surround myself with people who are smarter than me in areas I’m not. At Satta, that means engineers, educators, child psychologists, and advisors, and staying genuinely open to learning from them. Building alongside people with different skill sets doesn’t make you less of a founder; it actually makes you stronger.
For a lot of women, imposter syndrome is tied to the pressure to prove ourselves before we feel “ready.” But growth doesn’t come from pretending or striving for perfection. It comes from curiosity, humility, asking thoughtful questions, and honestly, having fun with the work :) The moment I reframed “I don’t know” as a strength instead of a weakness, everything shifted.
I still feel imposter syndrome on some days. But having a supportive community and people you trust makes all the difference. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room, you just need the curiosity to keep showing up.”
Maggie Shih, founder of Satta Labs Inc. | @_maggieshih | Miami, FL, USA
“The more I showed up as my real self (terrible makeup or NO makeup, messy bun, unfiltered lighting, unfashionable clothes, all of it...) the more people trusted me.”
Game-Changing Hack: Don’t let body image hold you back from showing up in your business.
For a long time, I hesitated to go live on video, speak at events, or even share photos of myself. I told myself it was about strategy, but really, it was body shame getting in the way.
My “hack” was practicing what I teach my clients about food freedom, and approaching my body with neutrality, compassion, and permission to show up exactly as I am right now. When I stopped waiting to “feel ready” or “look the part,” my confidence grew, and so did my business.
You can have the best offer in the world, but if you’re hiding because you don’t like how you look, your audience can’t connect with you. The more I showed up as my real self (terrible makeup or NO makeup, messy bun, unfiltered lighting, unfashionable clothes, all of it...) the more people trusted me.
Key takeaway for listeners: Confidence isn’t a look, it’s something you build by showing up anyway.
Katy Harvey, founder of Non-Diet Academy | @katyharvey.rd | Kansas City, Missouri, USA
“Systemize your visibility like you would your finances.”
”As a publicist, I treat PR like a recurring revenue stream because it is. Instead of chasing one-off mentions, I created a visibility system that ensures my clients (and my own brand) stay top-of-mind all year.
Every quarter, I revisit three things:
what stories are timely,
what outlets align with those narratives, and
what proof points need updating (photos, bios, offers).
It takes two focused hours every 90 days, and it’s eliminated the feast-or-famine cycle of attention that most founders fall into.
TL;DR: Don’t wing your publicity. Systemize it, and watch your visibility compound like interest.”
KJ Blattenbauer, founder of Hearsay PR | @hearsaypr & @kjblattenbauer | Dallas, TX, USA
Conclusion
Have a Hack of Your Own? We’d Love to Feature You.
If you’re a woman entrepreneur with a piece of hard-earned wisdom to share, we want to hear it. Your insight could be the exact shift another woman needs to move forward.
Submit your hack here: https://foundingfemalesco.com/hack
(We publish new themes all year long — bookmark the page so you can contribute anytime.)
Thank you for being part of this global movement of women helping women.
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About Founding Females®
At Founding Females®, our mission is simple but bold: to help women build businesses that thrive—and feel good doing it. We create empowering spaces where women can openly share challenges, celebrate wins, and receive the kind of peer support that sparks real momentum.
Led by small business educator and unapologetic dream-chaser Francie Hinrichsen, Founding Females® offers a powerhouse lineup of resources including our signature online mastermind for female entrepreneurs, in-person business events (like our annual women’s conference and local Meet Ups), and the must-have guidebook Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business.
Francie believes that any woman with a dream on her heart deserves a seat at the table—and she’s here to help you pull up your chair. [Click here to learn more about working with Francie.]
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Welcome to the second edition of the Founding Females® Business Hack Series: a monthly collection of crowd-sourced wisdom from women entrepreneurs around the world. First up: 11 Ways to Own Your Authority and Go from Entrepreneur to Thought Leader Click to view…