The Founding Females® Heartbeat April 2025
Four Can’t-Miss Updates from Founding Females® This Month
This month is all about Growth, Grit & Girlfriends. We’re digging in deep to refine Founding Females® around the resources that make the most impact on your business!
We’re planting lots of seeds for future growth and impact. You won’t be able to miss it over the next six months!
And while it’s crazy fun to lead this girl gang (literally the best job I’ve ever had!), the work we do is also important because Founding Females® is serving as a conduit for growth in our entrepreneur community!
Members of our community are creating strategic collaborations, greater value, and bigger paychecks!
Members are getting nominated for leadership awards in their communities.
Members are landing bigger and soul-centered contracts with dream clients.
I don’t pretend to know all the answers, but I do know how big goals are accomplished: Linking arms with community!
Here’s the latest you need to know about Founding Females®, including:
✨ The SEO Glow Up ✨ Training details
May Founding Females® Meet Up details - Psst - let’s hug IRL!
What we’re loving, can’t stop reading, and can’t stop learning about. Plus, what YOU are loving rn.
Resource Roundup → One of many things you’re good at: Self education! We’ll link to the blog posts we published this month.
Let’s dive in!
#1 ✨ The SEO Glow Up ✨ Training is back April 29th!
Already, six women are joining us for the ✨ SEO Glow Up ✨ on 4/29 and we have 10 seats still available! Welcome Dr. Kristen Strom, Kimberly Hartman, Bre Henderson, Becky Wolf, Kelley Gibson, and Amy Stevens!
Did you know? Search engines like Google are the most likely starting point when customers go to make a buying decision.
I.e. Your customers use social media to be entertained, but they use search engines when they’re ready to spend money.
→ That’s why in order to grow your business beyond your network of friends and family, your website must be optimized.
The training teaches female entrepreneurs a proven process for driving qualified traffic to your website and converting those visitors into paying customers.
Tap the button to grab your seat!
Inbox Love
Share your best email for occasional tips, tricks, and free downloads about our female entrepreneurship resources.
#2 Let’s Hug IRL at May Meet Ups!
You may already know that I co-host our Peoria Meet Up chapter each month with Hannah over at Always Flourishing Photography, but this month I have some exciting news to share!
🚙 💨 You can find me taking a Meet Up Tour in May! In the month of May, I’ll be joining the hosts at our other locations to hug IRL and pour into our Founding Females® community at large.
Mark your calendar! Here are May Founding Females® Meet Up details.
Champaign-Urbana Founding Females® Meet Up Chapter
Champaign/Urbana, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
May 6 at 8:30a at The CU Flower House hosted by Heidi Esther, Joyologist and Andrea Hunt, owner of The CU Flower House (2006 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820). Champaign/Urbana Meet Ups are always the first Tuesday of the month.
* Brand New * Livingston County Founding Females® Meet Up
May 8th at 10a. We are so excited to announce the launch of our newest Founding Females® Meet Up Chapter in Flanagan, Illinois! We call it our “Livingston County Meet Up Chapter”!
This incredible female entrepreneur event will be hosted by Christine Brown at Christine Brown Photography (117 S Main Street, Suite 3, Flanagan, IL 61740) on the second Thursday of the month at 10a CT!
The Livingston County Meet Up marks our sixth chapter across Illinois and Indiana.
Peoria Area, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
May 13th at 10a at Cafe Santa Rosa (1327 E Kelly Ave, Peoria Heights, IL). Hosted by Hannah Knight of Always Flourishing Photography and Studio on Samson and Francie Hinrichsen, founder of Founding Females®. oh heyyy!
*Please note - No outside drinks allowed. Plan to arrive a little early if you'd like to order a drink from the cafe. Peoria Meet Ups are always the second Tuesday of the month.
Danville, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
May 15th at 12p CT Location to be announced hosted by Jessica Nemecz of Two Roads Wellness Clinic and Ashton Greer of Westwood Equity Group and Partner, Fred & Ma, LLC. Feel free to bring your lunch. Danville Meet Ups are always the third Thursday of the month.
Decatur, IL Founding Females® Meet Up
May 29th at 10a at @CassConcepts (100 E Main St, Decatur, IL) in Decatur, hosted by Lindsey Kirk of Lindsey the Ladysmith and Cassie Yoder, founder of Cass Concepts. Decatur Meet Ups are the last Thursday of the month.
Carmel, IN Founding Females® Meet Up
May 30th at 12pm ET at The Link Office Suites in Carmel in the "Straightaway Conference Room" (10255 Commerce Drive, Carmel, IN). Carmel Meet Ups are hosted by Amanda Galloway of Country Financial and Crystal Rightor, founder of Indy Brow Boss. Feel free to bring your lunch. Carmel Meet Ups are always hosted on the last Friday of the month.
Start a Founding Females® Meet Up Chapter
Founding Females® is growing! If you don’t live near an existing Meet Up chapter and you’d like to start one of your own, pop into our inbox! We’ll teach you how to create a supportive, inclusive squad of female entrepreneurs to link arms and level up with.
Plus, we’ll travel to help you launch your first Founding Females® Meet Up in your area!
#3 What We’re Loving Right Now
Some of the BEST resources come from our circles. Here are favorites we’re all loving right now!
Something Making a Positive Impact
Current obsession: the Insight Timer app. Total game-changer.
I’ve officially revamped my nighttime routine—no more endless scrolling. Instead, I’m choosing intentional rest and investing in my long-term wellness.
The best part? I found a dreamy (get it? 😉) nighttime meditation that’s been working magic. I’ve fallen asleep in under 20 minutes 7 out of the last 8 nights.
Highly recommend if you’re ready to trade stress for sleep and start honoring your body’s need to recharge like they’ve been telling us to for years.
Books I Can’t Put Down
Audible and I have become tight over the last few months. I was inspired by my friends who finished 100 books in a year last year!
While 100 books is probably not in the cards for me, a stretch goal I’m eyeing is one book per week.
Here’s what’s playing on my daily walks:
Earlier this month I finished ‘10X is Easier Than 2X’ by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy for the third time because it’s just that good!
Earlier this month I also finished ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins - This book has served as a ginormous inspiration for refreshing our Founding Females® brand standards, btw. Thank you to whomever recommended it in our mastermind!
Current Read: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
Mantra That’s Been in My Head Lately
“You can’t build a world-class business with a mediocre mindset.”
You just can’t. Ask yourself:
What do you need to stop doing in order to have the mindset that will help you achieve the vision in your heart?
Upskilling: ‘Reels That Sell and Scale’ Workshop
I just signed up for Always Flourishing Photography and Maverick Marketing’s upcoming Reels that Sell and Scale Workshop. If you’re in Central Illinois, it’s a can’t-miss because it’s in-person and led by two visionary boss babes, and if you hurry, there might be a few seats left! This is definitely a room I want to be in!
What You’re Loving Right Now!
The ✨ SEO Glow Up ✨ Training, f’real!
Here’s a text from Katie VandenBerg who took our SEO training last year, started implementing what she learned in the Fall, and became the #2 result for her priority keyword within six months, second only to the organization that certifies the industry.
Now she’s getting inquiries from all around the country and doesn’t have to depend on word of mouth to run her business.
Our Marketing Strategy and Website Management Services
Here’s some love from one of our fave clients, Jessica, who has been enjoying the marketing strategy and website management service support while she focuses on CEO responsibilities.
Need this service? Let’s chat about how we can work together in the future!
#4 Resource Round Up
We know continuing to educate yourself to grow your business is one of your highest priorities as a female entrepreneur, so here are recent blog posts we published this month about growing your business:
2025 Scheduling
If you didn’t know, we have a marketing division under the Founding Females® brand. Since we launched Founding Females® in 2021, we’ve helped over 1000 women grow their businesses and take their next best step in entrepreneurship.
If you anticipate needing any of the following services this year, please let us know so we can hold space for you on our calendar:
Website refresh or website management (monthly and quarterly options available - Taking Squarespace clients only starting in 2025.)
Audits for SEO and CRO - SEO stands for search engine optimization and CRO stands for conversion rate optimization
Business and marketing strategy support, including brainstorming strategy sessions
Speaking engagements (topics: ‘The Fundamentals of Marketing,’ SEO, and business strategy)
Let’s chat about your business!
Have a personal business struggle or win you want someone to get excited about with? I’d love to talk through it with you! Comment below or click to email me.
Cheering for you!
Francie, Founder
Recent Blog Posts About Female Entrepreneurship
Past Founding Females® Heartbeat Newsletters
Founding Females® Heartbeat December 2024
Founding Females® Heartbeat January 2025
Founding Females® Heartbeat February 2025
Founding Females® Heartbeat March 2025
P.S. Here are some of my top favorite female small business resources:
Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business available on Amazon- a guided handbook including everything you need to know from business idea to launch to profiting and scaling your business.
Dream, Build, Grow Free Resource Suite - free business templates for your business plan, marketing plan, ideal client persona, financial statements, and more!
Founding Females Mastermind- an online female mastermind space for entrepreneurs to connect, support, and get inspired
Free Downloads for Female Entrepreneurs
Free PDF Download: 25 Ways to Market Your Business (Aside from Social Media)
Free PDF Download: 33 keys to Business Success
Free PDF Download: SEO Tips for Entrepreneurs
Related Articles for Female Entrepreneurs
Hi, I’m Francie!
Nice to meet you. I’m the founder of Founding Females®. Some call me a business sage because I love to empower female entrepreneurs to breathe life into the business dreams God called them to.
After feeling like a misfit in the corporate world, I discovered a life I loved waking up to through business ownership.
I’m the author of Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, a guided journal helping hundreds of women start and grow their businesses.
I’m also a passionate entrepreneurship hype girl, female leader, public speaker, and community enthusiast.
My MBA and 10 years in a corporate career and in business ownership positioned me as an entrepreneurship educator with forward-thinking strategies for starting and growing successful businesses.
As a community leader, I realized other women could thrive with the right guidance and support. I created the Founding Females® Mastermind Community that provides a safe space for women to build better businesses.
I believe that anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Looking to grow your own business? Click for info about how to work with me.
About Founding Females®
The mission of Founding Females® is to help women build thriving businesses. We create safe spaces for women to share business challenges and receive peer support.
In addition, Founding Females® offers an online female business mastermind, a how-to guidebook for female entrepreneurs called Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, and in-person events, like an annual women’s business conference and local Founding Females® Meet Ups.
Founding Females® was founded by small business educator, Francie Hinrichsen. She believes anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Click to learn more about working with Francie.
The latest Founding Females® news on the next ✨ SEO Glow Up ✨ Training, what we’re loving, reading, and can’t stop learning about, new posts to self-educate, and more! Click to view…