The Founding Females® Heartbeat July 2026
Credit: Hannah Knight of Always Flourishing Photography
July at Founding Females®: Membership Week Recap, Summer Vibes, and More
Summer has a funny way of reminding us what matters.
For those of us who spend most of the year building businesses, chasing goals, and checking off to-do lists, summer often invites us to slow down just enough to notice the things happening right in front of us.
Around here, that has meant more pool days, more bike rides, more evenings spent outside, and a little more intentionality around being present.
The work is still happening, but we're also embracing this season for what it is: a chance to enjoy our families, recharge our batteries, and create memories that won't fit neatly into a planner.
This 100% aligns with our ethos at Founding Females® to build a business around our lives and not a life around our business. I’m here for it!
As always, here's a look at what's happening inside the Founding Females® community this month.
#1 ✨ Membership Week Recap
What. A. Week.
We're thrilled to share that 50 incredible women joined the Founding Females® Mastermind during Membership Week, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them into the community! 💛
Together, this new group of members brings more than 50 years of combined experience across industries including marketing, product development, wellness, consulting, burnout prevention, data and analytics, esthetics, and so much more.
Already, we're seeing the magic happen. New members are scheduling virtual coffee chats, jumping into peer coaching hot seats, sharing expertise, raising their hands for leadership opportunities, and making the kinds of connections that remind us why having a community is so crucial to entrepreneurship in the first place.
Every Membership Week brings fresh ideas, new perspectives, and a whole lot of momentum, and this cohort is no exception. We can't wait to see the collaborations, friendships, breakthroughs, and business wins that come from these women choosing to grow together.
To our newest members: welcome home. We're so glad you're here. ✨
#2 What We’re Loving: Choosing a Slower Summer
As women, and dually as entrepreneurs, we're often encouraged to do more.
More content, networking, launches, and growth.
But hustle culture doesn’t align with our ethos at Founding Females®. At Founding Females®, we know money isn’t the only currency. We also recognize time, presence, energy, and purpose are also byproducts of building a business around your life and not a life around your business.
One of the greatest benefits of building our own businesses is the ability to design a life that aligns with our values.
For many of us, summer is a season that reminds us why we started in the first place.
The flexibility to take a midday bike ride with our kids. The ability to spend an afternoon at the pool. The freedom to enjoy a slower pace without asking permission.
Don't mistake slowing down for falling behind.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is step away from your desk long enough to enjoy the life you're working so hard to create.
If you're finding yourself balancing business goals with family adventures this summer, know you're in good company.
#3 📸 Introducing Our Total Exposure Partnership
Some of the most talented photographers I know are right here inside the Founding Females® community.
Lookin’ at you Hannah, Marissa, Holly, Christine, Emily, and Kaitlyn.😘
As business owners, we know visibility matters. A great website and active social media presence are important, but getting your work in front of new audiences can create entirely new opportunities.
That's why I'm excited to share a partnership we've recently launched with Total Exposure Photography Directory (@totalexposureofficial). They've offered something special to our community: 6 months completely FREE for our Founding Females® community on their growing photography directory platform.
Why consider it?
Expand beyond your local market. Many photographers are open to travel but struggle to get visibility outside their immediate area.
Build trust signals across the web. Directories can help strengthen your online presence and support discoverability in search and AI-driven platforms.
Show up where potential clients are already looking. Your website is essential, but being listed in a photography-specific directory puts your business directly in front of people actively searching for photographers.
How to claim your free 6 months:
Visit Total Exposure.
Select the Standard Monthly Membership.
Click "Click here to enter your code" in the coupon section.
Enter code: FOUNDER6
Complete checkout and create your profile.
That's it!
We're always looking for ways to help women get more visibility, more opportunities, and more clients and this felt like a win worth sharing.
PS: Founding Females® loves partnering with brands, platforms, and organizations that help women entrepreneurs grow. Interested in getting your brand in front of our audience of 25,000+ female founders? Send us an email and let's start the conversation.
#4 ✨ Member Spotlight: Courtney Parks
One of the best parts of this community is celebrating the incredible women who are building businesses with purpose.
This month, we're shining the spotlight on Courtney Parks.
We love highlighting the stories behind the businesses because entrepreneurship isn't just about revenue and growth—it's about the people brave enough to pursue their vision and make an impact.
Be sure to check out Courtney's full feature and learn more about her journey.
Inbox Love - Trusted by 2,100+ ambitious female founders.
Share your best email for occasional tips, tricks, and free downloads about our female entrepreneurship resources.
#5 Founding Females® August Meet Ups Are Live!
Founding Females® Meet Ups are your favorite kind of business hang-out, minus awkward networking vibes.
Come join a group of real, passionate women entrepreneurs for a free monthly in-person Meet Up where we chat, laugh, share wins, and crowdsource solutions together. Think of it like grabbing coffee with a circle of supportive founder friends who actually get what you’re juggling: business ideas, challenges, breakthroughs, and all.
Free + Open to All Women Entrepreneurs - Bring your business challenges, your goals, an open heart, and a friend!
✨ Champaign/Urbana, IL - 1st Tuesday at 8:45a CT at The CU Flower House (@thecuflowerhouse).
August 4th. Hosted by Holly Birch (@hollybirchphoto), Ali Kreider (@thisisalikfitness) and Andrea Hunt, owner of The CU Flower House (2006 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820).
✨ Livingston County - Off for the summer - see you in September!
✨ Peoria Area, IL - 2nd Tuesday at 10a CT @cafesantarosa_co (1327 E Kelly Ave, Peoria Heights, IL).
August 11th hosted by Hannah Knight of @AlwaysFlourishingPhotography and @thestudioonsampson and Francie Hinrichsen, founder of Founding Females®.
*Please note - No outside drinks allowed. Please support your locally owned coffee shops.
✨ Danville, IL - Third Thursday at 4p CT. August 20th hosted by Jessica Nemecz of @two.roads.wellness at La Positina at 12pm CT.
✨ Covington, IN - Last Friday of the month at 9a CT/10a ET. August 28th. Hosted at Julie’s Java by Jessica Nemecz of @two.roads.wellness and Amanda Galloway with Country Financial (@amanda_galloway_insurance).
All Founding Females® events and details are listed on our website at the link below.
Until Next Month...
Whether you're spending your summer at the pool, traveling, chasing little ones around the backyard, or building something exciting in your business, we hope you're finding moments to enjoy the season.
Business will always be there tomorrow.
Summer only happens once.
We'll see you next month.
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 Mueller Hinrichsen, Founder
Recent Blog Posts About Female Entrepreneurship
Past Founding Females® Heartbeat Newsletters
The Founding Females® Heartbeat June 2026
The Founding Females® Heartbeat May 2026
The Founding Females® Heartbeat April 2026
The Founding Females® Heartbeat March 2026
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
Starting a business or side hustle this year? Take the guesswork out of what to do next with a copy of Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business.
With over 300 pages of proven business tips and tricks, Dream, Build, Grow is perfect for anyone searching for how to start a business from the ground up. With over 20 5-star reviews on Amazon, readers say they loved the guidance on exactly how to gain clarity, save time, and build a business that works for the modern woman’s lifestyle.
Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business by Francie Hinrichsen provides realistic, achievable, and step-by-step guidance to finally start the business you’ve been dreaming about.
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The ‘Press Release 101’ Mini Course walks you through step-by-step how to create a press release, how to know who to send it to, and what to say to members of the press when you reach out so the press care about and show up to your event.
Creating PR (public relations) in your small business can be an invaluable asset in your marketing strategy, but most people don’t know how to do it. That’s why this course is available.
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.
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