The Founding Females® Heartbeat March 2026
Credit: Hannah Knight of Always Flourishing Photography
March Heartbeat
Happy Women’s History Month, friend 💫
There’s something extra special about this time of year. This time of year brings with it dedicated focus to pause, reflect, and celebrate the women who came before us, the ones building alongside us, and the ones we’re becoming.
And if this past month is any indication… this community is doing exactly that.
Here’s the latest you need to know from the Founding Females® Headquarters.
#1 A Woman’s Voice: Event Recap
Earlier this month, Founding Females® collaborated with several other influential women’s organizations in Central Illinois for an event called “A Woman’s Voice.” The collaborative organizations included National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Women in Leadership (WIL), Junior League of Peoria, and Peoria Women’s Club.
A Women’s Voice was a collaborative event in honor of International Women’s Day, and wow… it was so aligned with our ethos at Founding Females®.
Almost 60 women joined us for a conversation that felt like it gave life to the triumphs and struggles women usually have to face in isolation.
Together, we explored:
When to say yes (and trust your intuition)
How to say no (without guilt or over-explaining)
What it really looks like to show up for each other and for the community we live in
#2 Member Spotlight: Sylvia Correa
If you haven’t yet, we’d love for you to meet one of our incredible members, Sylvia Correa of Quillworx.
Her story is one of creativity, courage, and building something meaningful on her own terms. The way she’s boldly disrupting her industry is a reminder for all female entrepreneurs: there is no one “right” way to build a business.
Inbox Love - Trusted by 1,800+ ambitious women entrepreneurs.
Share your best email for occasional tips, tricks, and free downloads about our female entrepreneurship resources.
#3 A Little April Sneak Peek on Our Services Team…
We’re gearing up for something exciting in April!
We’ll be shining a light on our Founding Females® Services Team. These are the women behind the scenes who help bring our clients’ ideas to life, from websites to strategy to growth.
Without saying too much yet… if you’ve been thinking about getting support in your business, you’re going to want to stay close.
#4 April Meetups 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 mind, and a friend!
✨ Champaign/Urbana, IL - 1st Tuesday at 8:45a CT at The CU Flower House (@thecuflowerhouse).
April 7th. 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 - 2nd Thursday at 10a CT hosted by @ChristineBrownPhotography at Christine Brown Photography (117 S Main Street, Suite 3, Flanagan, IL 61740). See you April 9th!
✨ Peoria Area, IL - 2nd Tuesday at 10a CT @cafesantarosa_co (1327 E Kelly Ave, Peoria Heights, IL).
April 14th 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 - *New time and place* Third Thursday at 4p CT
April 16th hosted by Jessica Nemecz of @two.roads.wellness at Mad Goat Coffee North (@MadGoatCoffee)
✨ Covington, IN - *Brand New Chapter!* - Last Friday of the month at 11a CT/12pm ET. April 24th. 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.
#5 Inside the Mastermind
Here’s what’s coming up inside the Founding Females Mastermind:
March 25: Co-Working Power Hour
Bring your to-do list and let’s get it DONE, together.
April 8th: “Ask Me Anything” with Chelsie Tamms, founder of Lettering Works
Come with your “How’d you do that"? questions for a founder with over 10 years in business.
April 15th: Mastermind Call: Nailing the Consult
We’ll be diving into how to confidently lead consults, connect with potential clients, and turn conversations into conversions (without feeling salesy).
Final Thoughts
Thanks for being part of a community that rises together! We’re so grateful to have you here.
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
The Founding Females® Heartbeat December 2025
Founding Females® Heartbeat November 2025
Founding Females® Heartbeat October 2025
Founding Females® Heartbeat September 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
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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.
We recently clarified our 2026 mission at Founding Females®: Open doors for 10,000 female entrepreneurs.
We open one door, and she opens the next, and the ripple continues in perpetuity. It only starts with one. One moment of feeling understood. One encouraging word. One pivotal introduction. One marketing idea. One new client. One celebration after a big win.
Here’s the latest you need to know from Founding Females®…